Fire Emblem: A Different Awakening
by Esid
Summary: Two Plegian dark mages find themselves aiding the prince of Ylisse, Chrom, and his Shepherds after they abandoned Plegia. Things get complicated quick, with tensions between the two nations rising. War is inevitable. But what happens when people from one of these black mage's past start showing up? To make matters worse, they bring news of an old enemy chasing after him!
1. And so we met

This is my first fic ever! I have some experience with roleplaying, which may or may not help with my writing. Let me know what you think. Any input (storywise and/or on my writing) is welcome.

What would've happened if the circumstances around Robin's life had been different? This is my interpretation of events with this question in mind. For the most part, no pairings in mind just yet.

* * *

 _Chapter 1: And so we met_

How long had they been walking? His legs felt like jelly every time he took another step. There was no way for them to stop moving, however, as for the last three days they'd been chased by a band of bandits. _If it wasn't for her, I would welcome that steel to the neck._ It was true. The young man knew what his so called "destiny" had in stores for him later on. That was the reason he'd run and was in this position now; no food, no money, no shelter. If it hadn't been for his companion-this woman he knew little about-he would've been long gone from this world. But in doing so, she had set herself up for her own demise. They had been forced to leave their home country, after all. So the very least he could do was find her some sort of place where she would be safe.

The woman followed close behind him, her long, black hair swaying from side to side as they kept moving. Every now and again the man would look behind him to make sure she was still there. In all honesty, sometimes he hoped she wouldn't be-that she would just leave him so that way he wouldn't be bound by this foolish sense of honor that had them now on the run in the supposedly safe land of Ylisse-maybe then he would be able to relax a bit more. A strange sense of guilt would come over him every time he did this and their gaze met. _It's too late to think about that. What's done is done,_ he thought for a second.

"How are you holding up?" he asked as he kept looking forward, his legsstill moving despite his brain telling him to stop.

There was a moment of silence between them, only the wind and the sound of their steps hitting the ground filling the empty air. Maybe she wouldn't respond. She was mad at him…? It would only be logical. Then again, it had been her who first helped him, so why-

"As good as you would expect," she said in a noticeably tired voice. Well, at least the usual venom that was in her voice when talking with the few towns people they've met in their travels wasn't there when she addressed him.

"Yeah…" Not much else he could say about it. Anyone in their position would be both physically and mentally exhausted if they've gone through the same things the pair had. "There's a tree up ahead." he motioned to a lone tree standing on the middle of the fields. "Let us rest there for a bit. We've been walking for gods know how long."

"Mhm," she let out.

No sooner did they reach the tree that the man practically collapsed, hitting the ground with his knees and hands. The tome he'd been carrying with him through the journey simply hitting the floor as if it was nothing more valuable than a sack of potatoes (he was so hungry that his stomach was telling him to trade the tome for just that if he had the chance.) At least he was on the shade. Only after letting out a long sigh did he notice that his companion was on her knees next to him. Unlike him, however, she had one of her hands on her tome and another on his back. The touch felt nice, but he felt so pathetic having to be reassured in that way. The last thing he wanted to do was take a look at her face. She probably had one of those sympathetic looks on her face.

"I'm okay," he told her. It took him all he had in him to muster his strength and turn himself around just to sit down. The tree was now was not only offering him it's magnificent shade, but the trunk was useful to keep himself upright. The girl did the same thing, moving herself next to him. "Just for a little while…" he muttered. "We have to keep moving."

A nod was her response. No need to waste their energy in pointless chatter, he supposed. And their circumstances made it difficult to have a normal or more friendly conversation anyways. Instead, he would do the only thing he could. From his cloak he produced a half empty waterskin. Being as cautious as he possibly could (this was all the water they had on them) he took off the cork that sealed the leather contained and then look a swig. His parched throat yearned for this. The refreshing, cold sensation spreading through him as the water went down. Only with self control was he able to not just chug the whole thing down right then and there. Just in case though, he handed it over to the girl. "We'll need to find a source of food and water soon," he told her while she took the waterskin from him. "We'll be dead from lack of nutrition and dehydration before those bandits find us otherwise."

She let out a satisfied sigh as she finished drinking, which brought a small, involuntary smile to his face. He didn't notice it himself until she turned around to return the waterskin. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen you smile," she said.

For one reason or another, he felt blood rushing towards his cheeks. He immediately took the waterskin, put on the cork on it and put it away, all the while making sure not to let her see his face. "I smile all the time," he defended. "You just never happen to see it."

"That's why I said it's the first time _I_ see you smiling," she responded. He didn't have to look at her to see that oddly charming grin she sometimes used on others.

He had put a foot on his own mouth now for sure. Better use that to stomp out any sort of misunderstanding now before he made a bigger fool out of himself. "I-I meant to say-"

He was quick to cut his words as a girl, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, approached the duo, two men following behind her. "Hello!" She cheerily said, waving one hand well over her head.

Instantly the two sitting under the tree stood up, grabbing to their tomes. The girl in front of them didn't seem hostile, but they weren't going to risk it at this point. They'd gotten this far by being cautious. But while their actions didn't bother the girl, the larger man did take notice. He stood between them, as if trying to defend the girl in the dress.

"What's the matter, Frederick?" the girl asked the man, who now could be called by the same name.

"Stand back, milady," the knight in blue armor said. "These are two are Plegian. What's more, their attire leads me to believe they are dark mages."

The words stung more than he would let anyone know. He hadn't chosen to be born in Plegia. He certainly didn't want to have anything to do with Grima. That was the reason he'd flead Plegia in the first place! Not that this man, Frederick, would listen. The knight certainly didn't look as friendly as his charge-the girl in the yellow dress and pigtails that had a look of confusion on her face.

"This would explain the reports of raiding in the area." Frederick was quick to grab his sword and take it out of it's scabbard. This man meant business.

With the sound of the sword unsheathing, he could feel an incredible bloodlust, but not from the man. He turned over to the woman. "Wait, Tharja!" it was his very first response. It certainly was possible for them to take out the knight on their own. As strong as this Frederick man looked, black magic could pierce through armor as a hot knife cuts through butter.

His sudden shout got the attention of everyone present. The third person from the new group caught up soon enough. "What's going on here, Frederick?" the bluenette asked, eyeing the strangers before him. Whoever this man was, he had authority behind him or the knight would've struck the pair down already.

"Milord, these two Plegians must be involved in-"

"We mean no harm!" Again, the young magic wielder got the attention from everyone. The bluenette looked confused, the girl in yellow looked more concerned than anything, Frederick was still on high alert, and his companion, Tharja, was all over the place (somewhere between angry, confused, and maybe even nervous?)

Tharja was the first to break the silence that had set in. "Master Robin, what are you-HEY!"

She didn't even get a chance to move. Robin quickly took the tome from her hands and threw at the feet of the group in front of him. He quickly put a hand on Tharja's side and moved her behind him, as if to shield her. Not that it would do much good if the two men decided to attack. All Robin would do would be act as a meat shield, buying her maybe a second or two. Still, his heart was racing to the max. He could feel Tharja's hands grab a hold of his cloak as she peeked over his shoulder.

"We've been chased for by a group of bandits for days," he said in a more calm demeanor. "You are right… eh… Sir Frederick, I presume? Anyways, yes, we are from Plegia, but-"

"Oh, Frederick! I didn't know you were known outside of Ylisse," the girl in yellow was quick to say. Maybe it was her attempt to lighten things up a bit.

"So you admit crossing the border then." Frederick pointed out. Obviously the girl's words went unnoticed. "And with these weapons no less. Tell me why I shouldn't just strike you down?"

"Relax, Frederick," the blue haired man interjected before the knight could say anything else or Robin got a chance to respond. "I don't think these two have anything to do with the reports. Not directly anyways. If what they say is true, then I would be inclined to think that the bandits following them are to be blamed."

This man… This man, whoever he may be, had to be the greatest man in the world at that instant… Well, at least in Robin's mind. His hands went down as he let down the biggest sigh of relief he could muster. Even if the knight was still not convinced, at least handing over the tomes was enough proof that they were harmless. "Thank you, good sir," he told the bluenette.

"Master Robin…" Tharja said from behind him. He could hear that the bloodlust, for the most part, had left her already. Still, she clung to him as a little girl would to a puppy that her parents wouldn't let her keep.

The blue haired man and the blonde girl both smiled to each other. Even Frederick might've felt the slightest pinch of the mood that had set in, as he sheathed his sword while keeping a stern look on his face.

"It's okay, friend, no need to be so formal," the good man said. "My name is Chrom. As you already know, that man is Frederick." He pointed towards the knight who gave a small nod and then pointed towards the girl in the yellow dress. "And that's my sister Lissa."

The girl gave a small wave all the while wearing a smile. "It's nice to meat you!" There was a moment of silence. Robin looked at her. It was as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't quite get the words out. For a moment, she laughed, either out of forgetfulness or embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name before."

Robin cocked an eyebrow. Oh, right. He hadn't introduced himself just yet. Tharja had called his name and he hers, but maybe it just went over the girl-Lissa's-head. Regaining some composure, he introduced himself. "I'm Robin. It's a pleasure." He gave a small bow to the three. While he was at it, he guessed it would be best if he introduced Tharja as well. She was still hiding behind him, for some reason or another. In order to do so, he sidestepped, but to his surprise and possibly the surprise of the other three, Tharja did the same thing. Robin let out a nervous chuckle. Once again he tried to sidestep, going back to his original spot, but Tharja just did the same thing.

Lissa certainly found it humorous, as she was giggling. Chrom too must've felt similarly, as there was a smile plastered on his face.

From the time Robin had spent with her, he would never had pictured her as one to get nervous in front of others. Could it be that being without her tome made her feel vulnerable? If so, he couldn't blame her. A certain part of him felt naked without a book by his side. Still, this was rude of her and it had to end. "What's the matter? There's no reason to be afraid."

"I'm not!" She quickly answered. "I'm just enjoying you acting like the big, strong, protective man for me." She, too, giggled. Though, in comparison to Lissa's, which had been sweet, Tharja's had a certain malice behind it. "You don't do this often enough for me, Master."

"Is she perhaps under some sort of contract with your family?" Frederick asked Robin. "I've noticed that she keeps calling you master. And I'm assuming she is not a slave. As far as I'm aware, even in Plegia slavery doesn't have a place."

"N-no, no, no, no!" Robin stuttered. "We've only met about a week ago! We met by chance. Your guess is as good as mine as why she refers to me as such." He really had to clear things up before they got the wrong idea about them. The only other time you would hear someone calling a person "Master" would be in a M&S relationship, which they certainly did not have. "Come on, stop fooling around." He turned around and grabbed hold of one of Tharja's wrist to make sure she would stop. She let out a small gasp in surprise, but he decided to ignore that. He gently pulled her to his side. "This is Tharja."

Everyone, Robin included, turned to look at her for a second, expecting her to talk. Alas, she said nothing. Her eyes were even hidden behind her fringe of hair. "Uh…" he turned to look at Chrom once more. "We are dark mages, which is why we carry those tomes with us." He pointed at the tomes on the ground, which Frederick then picked up, but didn't hand over. The man had to still be suspicious of the Plegians. "Apart from that, I specialize on combat tactics using magic while Tharja here is more adept with hexes."

Those last few words got the curiosity of the Lissa. She brought a finger to her chin in thought. "Hexes? Are those like traps?"

Tharja let out another giggle, which caused discomfort to the Ylisseans. "Traps. That's a simple way of putting it, but yes." Those were the first words she had spoken to the other group. Not the best first impression. "Also, curses. I can use magic in a variety of different ways. From giving someone the worst luck imaginable to causing a very slow and painful death."

"..."

Silence. Robin was once more nervous. Tharja, well, she just looked pleased with herself.

Chrom coughed into his fist. "I-ignoring that for a second," he began as to break the silence. "Robin, you said something about using magic for combat tactics? How does that work."

Glad that Tharja's words had gone ignored, Robin was more than pleased to answer. "Yes, well, it can be used in a variety of ways. For instance, I can get a sort of aerial view of a small battle field. I can also gage combat results between troops, making it easy to decide if someone should attack an enemy."

"That sounds really impressive!" Chrom didn't try to hide his excitement. From his words, it was the first time he'd ever heard of someone being able to use such skills. It wasn't such a surprise, as Robin himself didn't know of anyone else with such abilities. "But how would you be able to relay those orders to the troops? It's not like you can stand by every single one of them at all times."

He did had a fair point, but to that, Robin smiled. "Of course, you are right," he told him with the smallest of smiles. "But that's where a telepathic ability comes in. Basically, before a battle, I can create a link that will last for a certain duration with every soldier. This will allow me to communicate will them at all times as long as I call out their name in my mind. I can't use it to read minds, however. In order for me to hear back, they have to call out my name as well. Think of it almost as letters being sent between two people. You put your thoughts into the letter, but obviously you never write down everything that is on your mind."

Why Robin was revealing all this to these strangers, he didn't know. There was a certain aura around Chrom that just made you want to trust the guy. Could it be that he too had magical powers…? No, if that was the case Robin would be able to know for certain. Still, he had nothing to lose in telling him and everything to gain.

"My Master is very impressive," Tharja said, giving Robin a smile that sent a chill down his spine. He almost felt as if she wanted to cut open his skull and examine his brain.

"If what he says is true, then I would have to agree with you, Tharja," Chrom said.

"Maybe we could use him on the Shepherds, Chrom!" The always excited Lissa said.

"I would oppose that, Milord," Frederick said very matter-of-factly. "Having a Plegian so close could cause problems amongst the troops."

"But you have to admit it sounds very interesting," Chrom countered. "With something like that, casualties would be kept to a minimum."

"If I may," Robin cut in. "I've only used this abilities during training; never on actual combat. I couldn't guarantee anything until I had some real practice. And for obvious reasons, that on itself is a problem. No man or woman would want to die just to see if some black mage can pull off something like that."

"To that we can both agree," said Frederick.

"I don't know, it sounds kind of cool," said Lissa.

"Don't worry, Master Robin, if it came to it, I can always protect you from danger," Tharja said as she gave a squeeze to his hand- WAIT! When did she get a hold of his hand? He had been holding on to her _wrist_ but a minute ago! Robin quickly let go of her a took a step away. His face must've looked funny because she once more let out one of her giggles.

"In any case," Robin continued on topic. "Like I said, there isn't much of a chance for me to try such a thing."

"Maybe there is," Chrom let out, surprising everyone present.

"Milord! You can't possibly mean-"

Frederick was immediately interrupted by Chrom. "Robin, remember when you said there was a band of bandits that had been chasing you and Tharja?" Robin nodded. "I've received reports about them too. Our people are lead to believe they will be attacking a village in the vicinity. It could be good practice for you."

"B-but even if you say that, Tharja and I alone wouldn't be able to take them on!" Was Chrom thinking of simply pushing them out for the wolves to find?

"We fought them a couple of times and dwindle down their numbers, but they keep coming," Tharja said with an angry undertone. "Our tomes wouldn't last much longer, which is why we've kept running."

"Chrom! You can't just send them out like that! The Shepherds are meant to take care of this mess!" Lissa quickly reminded her brother.

"Oh no, don't worry Lissa," Chrom reassured her. "We'll take care of them… with the help of Robin and Tharja."

Frederick and Lissa were both taken aback. Tharja didn't seem to react to this. And Robin, well, he was now questioning if he was having some sort of hallucination from lack of food and water.


	2. And so we fought

Back with some more! I moved the story a lot in this chapter compared to the first. I just kept going until I found a natural stopping point. I hope you guys like it!

It's exciting to see reviews, follows, and favorites going up. I really hope this goes well.

I'll do say it right now. Expect some characters to be a bit OoC. I'll try my best to keep them true to who they are, but remember that this isn't the exact same world/story from the game, so characters may differ from it too. So of those changes will be intentional and others will be because I don't remember the character completely. I think the overall story will be worth it in the end.

* * *

 _Chapter 2: And so we fought_

The group of five-consisting of Robin, Tharja, Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick-were now reaching the outskirts of Southtown. Not long after their conversation earlier that day, Lissa had spotted a cloud of black smoke rising the direction they were heading. Chrom took this to mean that the group of bandits they (the Shepherds) were after had set a building in the settlement ablaze. So now they stood there,just at the outskirts of Southtown, out of view from the enemy while Frederick took a look around town. This, of course, didn't stop Robin from doing the same thing. He hadn't been allowed to leave Chrom's side-not that he wanted to anyways as he and Tharja still lacked their tomes- but no one said anything about him not using his abilities to look at what would certainly become a battlefield.

The black mage closed his eyes and concentrated. The use of this particular ability didn't require a tome, as he could spend some of the magical-element if you will from within him to use it. The ability he had nicknamed "Eagle's Eye." Even with his eyes closed, he could see the outside world, except he was well above where his body currently was. It was still odd to him, seeing his own body there, especially when he moved. But discomfort aside, this would give him a great vantage point. From what he could see, there were 10 bandits in all. Two casters, 3 swordsmen, and 5 axemen. The numbers weren't in favor of his group, not that he was expecting any differently., after all, Tharja and himself had seen this particular group before. If Frederick allowed the black mages to take up arms with their tomes, they could make easy work of half the group just between the two of them. Frederick seemed capable enough to take a few of the others out and so did Chrom. The problem was Lissa.

On their walk to Southtown, the ever so talkative blond had told Robin that she wasn't so much a fighter as she was a healer. Sure, she could hit the enemy with her staff, but it wasn't exactly built for that. The damage she could inflict on one of the enemies wouldn't be as great as the damage the staff would receive from the hit. They would need her to stick to the back of the group. That on itself wasn't a problem… So long as he and Tharja were allowed to use their tomes. _Damn you, Frederick…_ Robin internally cursed the knight, frowning. He'd taken the tomes with him, deciding it would be best not to keep the pair armed while waiting with the siblings.

The sound of a horse came into earshot, which meant Frederick was done with his scouting. Robin quickly ended Eagle's Eye and opened his eyes, glad to be back to normal. Everyone turned to Frederick, as they awaited for his word.

"From what I can see, there haven't been any casualties yet, Milord," the knight reported. "But I can't say that will be the case if we do not intervene now. We must act as once. The villagers look nervous and the bandits are growing impatient."

"What can you tell me about the enemy?" asked Chrom. He was a smart man. Knowing as much information of the enemy before battle could turn the tide in their favor.

"I number them at 8."

"There are 10 men," Robin corrected. That got him the attention of everyone. "Half wield axes, 3 prefer swords, and two use magic."

A quick grin started to form on the corner of Chrom's mouth. "So you used one of your abilities?" he asked rhetorically. "I was expecting you to do as much, after saying all that about never having a chance to use them in real combat." He then turned to Frederick. "Well, Frederick? Is our friend right?"

The knight had been surprised by Robin's detailed information, not that anyone could tell as he always steeled himself. He remained quiet for a moment. As much as he distrusted the man, he did them a favor. "That is correct, Milord."

"What else can you tell us about the enemy?" asked Chrom, returning his attention to Robin.

"Most of their forces are across the bridge," Robin answered. "Except for their leader, they don't appear to be all that strong. Normally I would advice attacking from the rear, trying to get the leader first; the man standing closest to the burning building. However, that would cost us time, which the enemy could use to put some more buildings to the torch. Even if we did go with that attack, the rest of the bandits might route or even kill some of the villagers in retaliation before we get a chance to finish them."

"So what do you suggest then, Robin?" Their main mission was to protect the people of the village. They couldn't risk going with a plan like that.

"A frontal assault. We have a better chance of taking them all down like that. It will lower the risk of the people on the other side of the bridge from running away. Chrom, you could take the axe man that is closest to us. Sir Frederick, with his horse, could easily reach the mage on the far side, closest to the bridge. Meanwhile, Tharja and I can deal with the two in the middle. Lissa can follow after you, Chrom. That way she can be protected and out of range from the rest of the bandits, should they decide to counterattack. And on the worst case that a caster gets in range of her, you can always protect her"

It was a good plan. The plan that had the highest success rate for them with the number of people they had. The plan only require them to take out the enemies by the entrance of town as simultaneously as possible. This, however, depended on whether or not they could get their tomes back from the knight; a concern that Robin voiced to the others.

"If I did that, there would be no guarantee that you would help, is there?" If anything else, Frederick was overly wary at a time that it could cost innocent people their lives… "Nothing would stop you from running away or, even worse, backstabbing us."

"We should just leave, Master Robin," said Tharja dejectedly, avoiding eye contact with the other three. "It's clear that they won't trust us. Why should we fight for them and their people when all we've received from Ylisse are attempts on our lives?"

Robin would've argued. He really wanted to, but deep down he felt the exact same way. His lips parted as he tried to say something but they closed just as soon. It was clear that the knight wouldn't put any trust on them. From the beginning it felt like he had already sentenced them for crimes they didn't commit.

To everyone's surprise, Chrom spoke up. "Give them back the tomes, Frederick. We have no time to spare. The towns people are counting on us."

"But Mi-" Frederick was just about to argue.

"Remember that our mission is to help the people of this town. That, and I intend on going back home with my head still attached to my neck."

"You have my word that we'll return them to you after the fight, if you so want to," Robin said. "You can't take them on all by yourself and expect the three of you to come out of it unharmed."

"Come on, Frederick!" Lissa joined in. "Stop being so… well... Fredrick-like! He already said they would return them."

Letting out a deep and long sigh, the mounted knight, to his utmost regret, had no other choice but to return the tomes to their respective owners. Robin grabbed his and quickly opened it. "Now, no more time to waste. I have to use the tome as a catalyst in order to cast the thought-exchange spell." He looked over at Chrom, who didn't have any complaints, and then at Frederick, who was still cautious with sword in hand. Robin turned to face Tharja, who was now happily holding her own tome to her chest. "I'll do it with you first."

Robin asked her to face her body in his direction and close her eyes before placing his hand on top of her head. She flinched just for a second, but otherwise, she was fine. Robin proceeded to chant the incantation before a small flow shone on top of Tharja's head. To an untrained eye, it could've looked like he had some sort of godly power and just blessed her. In reality, that light was only to show that the link had been established. A second passed and the glow disappeared.

"Okay, that's all there is to it, you can open your eyes now." He took his hand off her head and turned to look at the others. "I already explained before how it works, but to recap: I can talk with you telepathically at any time while the effect holds. It _will not_ allow me to hear your thoughts other than what you want me to. I can only hear back from you the moment you call out to me in your mind. I made sure it was a low level incantation too. The effect will last for an hour at most. That should be more than enough time to dissolve the situation."

The three nodded in unison. Frederick was the next to receive the incantation, probably to make sure Robin wouldn't be killing one of the siblings with it. As the words for it were the exact same, unless the knight was _that_ stupid, he would have to know that the incantation would also be the same. Lissa came next. Robin could tell she was nervous, yet, excited about the prospect of talking with someone using only her mind. Lastly, came Chrom.

" _I can talk to all of you directly, but with this type of incantation you can't communicate amongst yourselves,_ "said Robin.

Lissa gasped, wide eyed. "I could hear your voice so clearly! B-b-but your lips didn't even move."

" _That's how this works,"_ Robin said while nodding. " _Had we more time on our hands, I would have you all practice a bit more, but as it's been pointed out already, we don't have that luxury. Get ready._ " From this point forward, all communication would be telepathically.

Everyone got to spots that Robin had indicated. To Robin's left Chrom unsheathed his sword. Standing besides him was Lissa, holding tightly onto her staff as if it would spring legs and run away from her. To his right, Frederick too readied his sword from atop his mount. And besides himself, Tharja was as ready for battle as ever. " _Tharja, try to keep it under control this time,"_ he talked to his companion. " _Last thing we want is for them to think of us as lunatics. This is a small battle, not a massacre."_

He could hear her giggle once again. " _Master Robin, you don't have to worry,"_ she sent back. " _So long as the others do their thing, I'll make sure not to make too much of a scene."_

He let out a sigh. Her words weren't reassuring in the least. Not much he could do about it. " _Everyone, are you ready? On my signal we move._ "

The Ylisseans nodded while Tharja sent back an affirmative response. Not the best result. A simple test and the other three had already failed. He had to push the thought aside. These were just bandits, not overly trained soldiers or mercenaries thoughed from combat. They were outnumbered two to one, but Robin was confident in his abilities both as a tactician and as a black mage. " _Now!"_

With that, they leaped into action. Chrom was the first to meet an enemy, his first strike hitting flesh, but it was not a deadly blow. The enemy parried his following moves one after the other, but Chrom didn't leave a chance for a counterattack. After a few more blows, he was able to strike the down his foe.

Frederick reached the next target; a man wearing a pointy hat with a tome in hand. The caster manifested and then threw a fireball towards the knight, but the knight expertly had his horse move out of harms way. That battle was a lot shorter than Chrom's, as Frederick's sword caught the mage on its first strike directly on the head.

Robin and Tharja weren't far behind. Both their targets had been distracted by what had just happened to their comrades to notice the approaching duo of black mages. In complete sync with each other, the Plegians stopped and their tomes shone as they extended a hand forward. Tharja kept her tome on her other hand, close to herself, while Robin's approach was to extend the book forward with his arm, pages fluttering with the none existent wind as the magic flowed through him to look for the right spell. A dark sphere formed on top of each caster. The spheres then liquefied and hit the ground, forming into shadows. These shadows rushed over to where their enemies were standing. As they reached them, dark tendrils appeared from beneath each target. They wrapped the enemies up and simply squeezed. The energy in the attacks had been enough to break more bones than Robin cared to count on each of their enemies as well as crushing some internal organs. Both bodies-the life had almost instantly vanished from them-fell to the ground with a loud thud.

" _Everyone, move on to the bridge,_ " Robin ordered. " _We need to see how they react. If we are lucky, some of them will split off their group._ " As he explained, the whole group moved in the direction of the remaining bandits, who were now all looking in the direction of the commotion. " _One or two will surely move forward immediately. Fight or flight and all. Frederick, since you are the fastest, you take care of those._ "

" _I understand,_ " came the response from Frederick. Robin smirked. So the knight did have it in him to use this technique. That was progress.

" _Tharja, you and I will move forward and hit the others._ _We'll make the opening necessary for you, Chrom. Then it'll all be all up to you, Chrom. All you have to do is head directly to the big guy at the back. That's their leader._ " It was clear that Frederick didn't like the idea. Good thing that only Robin could hear his message, as there was no link between the knight and the bluenette.

" _Sounds good to me. I'll make that man pay for what he's done to the people of this town,_ " said Chrom. Robin had to handed to him, if nothing else, the guy had a burning passion. " _What about Lissa?_ "

" _Lissa, you'll be moving forward behind your brother. You won't be going all the way. In fact, I rather you stay just behind Tharja and I and let your him take care of the rest. Frederick will then have the choice of either moving forward and supporting Chrom or come back to protect you should more enemies decide to crash our little party. You will have to use your best judgement for that, Sir Frederick. I can't predict the future, so just use your intuition."_

They all joined up at the bridge. It was wide enough for all of them to cross shoulder to shoulder. Frederick's horse took some extra space, so Lissa was forced to be second in line behind her brother. All the best. The front line wasn't suited for a healer.

"Ah, well looky what we got here, boys," the man standing furthest said. "A group of idiots, tryin' to play hero" Only a couple of the remaining bandits laugh. The others must've seen what this "group of idiots" had done to the rest of their friends.

"Stop this at once," Chrom demanded. "If you do, your lives will be spared."

"Who'r ye supposed to be?" the same bandit questioned. "Some o' other lordling tryin' to protect the small folk? Go back to yer castle." He spat. He opened his mouth once more, but the his expression change. "Oh? What is it I see? The little Plegian craven and his whore show up!"

Robin's eye furrowed as the man continued. "Ye kill some of my men, boy! And now ye just show up with some of yer friends?" Chrom show a side glance at Robin for a second before looking back at the enemy. "Well, it's all the same to me. We'll kill yer friends, tie ye up, and then will rape yer whore and that blondy too and then kill them both." This time all of them men laughed. "Not necessarily in that order."

Tharja didn't even flinch at the words, but Robin could tell Lissa wasn't liking the idea. She didn't react the way he had imagined she would. Instead of being scared, she looked like a wolf ready to pounce on it's prey.

"Like hell you will!" Chrom, Frederick, and Robin shouted in unison.

"I don't know about you, Chrom, but I don't really feel like leaving men like these even breathe the same air as I do," said Robin, who clenched his jaw as he eyed the enemy and prepared his tome for combat.

"Aye, friend," Chrom agreed. "Threatening my sister… That was a stupid move." He brought up his sword and stood ready to attack. "Enough with words. Let your blade do the talking."

All the bandits and the group facing them stood still, waiting for the other to make the first move. Eventually, two to the bandits got impatient and took to a sprint. This was a signal for everyone to move. Frederick had his horse trotting ahead as soon as the enemy took a step forward. Both Tharja and Robin followed suit. At the back, Chrom and Lissa moved too.

"Attack!" The leader shouted. The rest of the bandits started rushing forward as well. Too late. There was enough space between the first two and the other four for Frederick to make the first move. He reached the two first bandits and pulled back on the rein of his horse, forcing it to stop. Just as he did, he brought his sword arm back, down, and then forward, making for a tremendous upward slash that easily cut through the armor of one of the bandits. The second one didn't have a chance to react. The horse twisted himself to a side as to land, pushing the enemy and throwing him off balance. That was enough of an opening for Frederick to land a lethal blow.

" _Fall back,"_ Robin told him. Just as quick as he'd moved forward, Frederick headed back, passing through the space between Tharja and Robin. The next two bandits were now in range. "Lets do this, Tharja." They stopped on their tracks and, just like they'd done before, they sent the dark flux to their targets. Those two soon fell as the tendrils released them. Now the group had the upper hand against the bandits, number wise. Five against two.

The tactician didn't have to give Chrom a word, he kept running forward, heading directly towards the bandit leader. " _Ignore the swordsman,_ " Robin told him. " _I got him. Just deal with the big guy."_ Chrom noded.

The swordsman had reached Chrom. He swung his sword well over his head and was just about the bring it down on the blunette when the same dark tendrils that had crushed his allies wrapped around him. They reached as far as his arms, which were forced to stop from the pressure exerted in them just in time for Chrom to pass under the blade.

The sight of seeing five men taken out so easily must've shaken up the enemy leader's resolve. He suddenly didn't look so certain about his chance at winning. Any chance of victory was snatched away when Chrom drove his sword through the man's chest. They both stayed there like that for a second, some blood coming out of the bandit's mouth. The body went limp and fell to the ground when Chrom removed his sword from the enemy.

"We did it!" Lissa exclaimed happily with a small jump, raising her staff in the air. "And none of you guys even took a single cut! I'm _really_ impressed."

Her jolly personality was contagious. A smile was plastered on everyone's face (Tharja's was more like a sinister smile.) "Good work, everyone," Chrom said cheerfully as he approached the others. "Especially you, Robin. I'm not only impressed by your ability as a tactician, but also as a mage." He extended an open hand towards the caster. "You did beyond what I expected of you."

Robin chuckled bashfully, now the center of attention, before shaking Chrom's hand. "You guys did very good yourselves. I wasn't expecting such a one-sided battle. It was also nice to test out my tactics in actual combat. I'm just glad none of us is hurt."

"Don't be so modest, friend." Chrom put his free hand on Robin's shoulder. "Seeing you two, now I can be certain."

The statement confused both Robin and Tharja. "W-what do you mean?"

"I want you two to join me and my friends. We are in need for more members. And it just so happen that the title of tactician is up for grabs as well."

"Milord, with all due respect" Frederick cut in. "I agree with you on their abilities, but I don't know if the public will like us having Plegians amongst our ranks, especially someone with the title of tactician. Every Shepherd right now hails from Ylisse. I could understand having someone from Ferox joining us. Ylisse stands on better ground with them, but a Plegian?"

Chrom let go of Robin and turned to his knight, still smiling. "You worry too much, Frederick the Wary. I started the Shepherds. I should be able to select who I want to have by my side when I fight, no?"

"But Milo-"

"More importantly! This would show Ylisse's respect for Plegia. The Exalt would approve of this decision. So, what do you two say?"

Robin and Tharja exchanged a look. " _It's better than running away,"_ he told her, as they could still talk through their mind. " _We can't go back to Plegia and Ferox is too far away."_

"I'll join on two conditions," Tharja said, clinging to her tome with both hands. "One, no one will interrupt my research on hexes nor other practices of dark magic. And two, I'll only join if Master Robin joins."

"Reasonable demands," Chrom said. "I think we can work with that." He turned to face Robin.

Robin sighed. "I'm not excited at the prospect of being an example of good relations between our countries in front of everyone… but the offer _is_ tempting." He looked between the present members of the Shepherds. "I'll consider it, but first, I would like to meet the rest of your people. If they are going to treat me with the same hospitality that Sir Frederick here has since we met, I don't think we'll stick around for long."

"Don't worry, Robin, all the others are really nice people," Lissa said. "Miriel, one of our members, is always researching about magic. I'm sure you three will become fast friends. She might even be able to help you on your own research, Tharja!"

"It's settled then!" Chrom said triumphantly. "We leave for the capital at once."

"Excuse me, m'lords." A villager approached the group from the side line. Apparently, all the while they were talking, the villagers had put out the fire that had been raging since before the battle started. "We would like to thank you for what you've done. You all have saved the people of this tiny town."

The group had left Southtown after Chrom had a nice and long conversation with the town's people. For their work, they'd received some food, which was the only thing that they could spare other than gold, but Chrom flat out refused any sort of currency. The food came in handy, as their next destination was far ahead. They'd decided to stop on the way to rest after much complaining from the blonde girl. Frederick built a fire and even scouted around. The name _Frederick the Wary_ was thrown out a few times because of this. Robin didn't mind. They finally had food on their bellies. Tharja was just as happy to have a meal, although she didn't show it as much as Robin did.

"Ugh," Lissa grunted." I hate bear meat. It stinks just as bad as it tastes."

"Come on, Lis," Chrom said. "You can't be picky about what you eat when you are outdoors. You should be grateful that we have anything to eat."

"You just say that because you can stand it!" She pouted. "Who on their right mind would like it?" All eyes went to Robin, who was having a second serving, courtesy of Frederick.

"Whm?" was the only thing he could say. He swallowed the chunk of meat before continuing, "it's not as bad as some of the stuff I've had on Plegia. It tastes as good as a prime cut of meat from the best cow when you haven't eaten in days!"

"Glad to see our friend here appreciates the local cuisine," said Frederick just as Robin finished up. "I suggest we call it a day. We'll wake up early and be back at the capital before noon."

"More walking?" Lissa whined.

"Why don't you ride with Sir Frederick, then?" Tharja asked, a little annoyed at the girl.

"You don't understand, Tharja! That horse haaaaates me. Every time I've tried to get on it, he always tries to kick me off."

"Sir Frederick must be an amazing rider if he can keep a horse like that under control," Robin said, picturing in his head the scene Lissa had just mentioned.

Chrom let out a laugh. "It's not so impressive, Robin. The horse just hates her because there was one time she wanted to prank Frederick by hiding a snake on his saddle. The horse freaked out and hasn't let her touch it since."

"I feel bad for the horse now…"

"It was supposed to be a joke," Lissa said, pouting again and then bringing one of her fingers to her chin, giving her an air of innocence. "It wasn't even a venomous snake…"

"I'm pretty sure horses don't care…" If that was her idea of a joke, he dreaded being on the receiving end from any of them. He would keep an eye out for that yellow dress from now on.

Sleep soon took them, one by one. Robin was having the strangest of dreams. More like a nightmare… There were figures all around him, blurry figures. He didn't fear them. Something in him told him they were all with him. Then a massive presence appeared in front of all of them. It let out a shriek louder than anything he'd ever heard before. The blurry figures approached the massive presence, pulling out weapons ranging from axes and swords, to tomes and maces. When he was about to join them, Robin was forced out of his slumber.

"What's going on?" he asked drowsily, seeing as all the others too, mysteriously, decided to wake up. Their burning fire had crumbled down into just hot coals. "What's this eerie feeling I'm getting all of a sudden."

"I sense magic," Tharja said as she grabbed hold of her tome.

"Now that you mention it…" Robin got to his feet, followed by the rest. "There is a weird atmosphere that wasn't here before we fell asleep. We should investigate."

"If we do that, then we should split up," Chrom suggested. "I'll take Lissa with me and check south. You three head north. We can meet back here in 20 minutes."

"If we're going to do that…" Robin pulled out his tome and held it infront of him, the pages fluttering as they did when he was preparing a spell. A wave of light shot from the tome, hitting them all, though causing no damage. "That re-established the link. Same deal as before. It'll only last for an hour or so. But this way we can talk to each other in case something happens."

"Smart," Chrom said, nodding in approval. "Let's get moving. The sooner we are done, the sooner we can go back to sleep."

The groups headed towards their designated directions. Tharja walked close to Robin and Frederick walked in front of them. Tharja didn't particularly look scared. She was a lot more interested in this than any of the events that had transpired thought the day, if Robin had to guess.

"It's awfully silent for a forest," Frederick pointed out. Robin hadn't thought about it until now, but the knight was right.

"I wonder what happened to all those insects that Lissa was complaining about?"

"Something is coming," Tharja suddenly said moving just a little closer to Robin.

"What are you-WOAH!"

The earth started shaking. It wasn't your typical earthquake that could tumble a candle light, no, this was a monster! The force was so strong that some trees started falling down and even the ground started to break up. "We need to hurry back and regroup!" Robin yelled. He said as much to Chrom and Lissa using the link, but got no response. "We need to head back _now_!"

The trio was rushing, trying to make their way back to the camp. It was not an easy task. Trees had fallen on their way and reveals that exposed molten rock blocked their way on every corner. "Milord, Lady Lissa!" Frederick called out to them as he stopped the siblings. The five of them were now back together. "What is going on?!" To see the usually serious Frederick so confused was frightening in its own way.

"What the hell are those?!" Robin pointed towards a few figures that were falling from the sky. The height from which they were falling was more than enough to kill any mortal man, but those things just got up! "I don't think they are friendly. What should we do?"

Chrom pulled out his sword and stood ready to attack. "We have no other choice," he said. "We'll have to fight!"


	3. And so they rose

Hello again!

I wrote this chapter pretty quick. I wanted to try something a bit different for this one so that you don't get to read everything as it happens in the game. That's also the reason why I changed up the dialogue between characters while trying to keep the same sort of feel to the conversation. I don't know about you, but I've played through the game a few times and when I read the exact same thing on other stories, I just end up skimming through it.

Hope you find this entertaining! Let me know what you think and if you want to see more chapters like this, leave a review for this chapter.

* * *

 _Chapter 3 And so they rose_

Dreams can be greatly enjoyable. They allow you to be whoever it is you want to be and do many, _many_ things that are simply impossible outside the dream world. It is because of this that he became a little frustrated when he felt movement by his side. He'd been shaken awake. At first he was a little confused. Who was he with? Why were they waking him up? To answer this, he opened his eyes.

His expression soften as he saw the figure of a woman standing naked besides the bed he was laying on. The girl was frantically trying to dress herself as he just observed, thinking how beautiful the female body could be. Eventually, seeing her putting on her dress back, he felt like he needed to speak up. "Leaving so soon?"

The girl almost froze at the sound of his voice. She slowly turned to face him. Her face red as a rose full in bloom. "O-oh," she says nervously. "I didn't mean to wake you. I-I-I was just-"

"No, please, my fair lady" he quickly interrupted, once more, taking her by surprise. "I understand. I get the feeling you aren't too familiar with this kind of situation, yes?" The girl, embarrassed, nods slowly before he continues. "Of course… It breaks my heart that we must part ways here, but perhaps our love wasn't meant to be. BUT! Do know this, my lady, I will always hold the time we spent together dear to my heart."

Maybe it was because of his words. Maybe it was because of the words he'd spoken the day before when they met at that fancy tavern. Either way, it helped flush out any embarrassment the girl had. Her body relaxed and she even chuckled for a bit. "You have quite the silver tongue," she said between chuckles. "I'm sure you say that to every girl… I appreciate your words none the less."

He brings himself up a bit, nothing covering his body other than the thin fabric used as a bed sheet. He offers her only a smile. He won't deny her words, but that didn't mean that his words were a lie either. His eyes followed her as she headed for the door. She opened it and turned over to take a last look at him.

"Farewell, Sir Virion," she said before closing the door behind her.

…

Ylisstol. Many times had he heard stories from travelers about this city. THey'd all claimed it to be a jewel on that side of the world. Virion, being a somewhat (self acclaimed) connoisseur of beauty just _had_ to see it with his own two eyes. It took merely three days for him to make all preparations necessary to leave his land and travel half the world to see it.

Oh, and how right those travelers had been! Since arriving, he'd seen beautiful architecture, tasted exquisite food, drank curious, yet incredible drinks, and conquered a couple of hearts too. The beauty of the city was reflected on its people. Not only did the women from noble houses! Even more than a few of the common women pulled at the strings of heart. Coming here had been one of the best decisions of his life. But there was one thing that still eluded him… For as long as he'd known about Ylisstol, he'd heard about the captivating beauty that ruled over it; the Exalt herself, lady Emmeryn.

That didn't stop the archerest of archers from seeking her out. If he were to use his title to seek an audience with her, the thrill of finding her wouldn't be as high as if he were to meet her casually. Luckily enough, word around town was that she would walk around the city-amongst her people-a few times a month. It was just a matter of time. And so, to keep his mind occupied, he would enjoy himself with some of the other beauties that Ylisstol had to offer.

This desire had brought him to wander around the streets he admired so much. With him, he carried his trusty bow and quiver. Oddly enough, no one seemed to mind an armed man walking through the city. The city was too trusting… or could it be that they didn't believe him to be able to wield such a weapon?! _Of course that's not the case_ , Viroin thought. _They must be used to seeing adventurers on this side of the world. Yes, that must be it_.

"Hmm?" he mumbled. "What do my eyes see?" His thoughts were snatched from him as he noticed a woman clad in armor of fierce red, much like the wild hair that sat atop of her head. Her face, he took note, was just as spectacular as her figure (despite her armor hiding most of said figure.) Virion, being the gentleman that he was, felt like he should introduce himself to this woman now. Cease the moment, as they say. He approached the unknown woman as she finished talking to what looked to be a wall. _Perhaps she voices her concerns out loud in order to analyze them_ , he thought as he walked her way. _Yes, such a remarkable young woman. I simply must know more about her!_

His chance to talking to her slimmed down to non existence. Just as he was within a good enough range, she mounted a horse, grabbed a spear, and made her way out of his sight. This left Virion both perplexed and intrigued. What would cause such beauty to leave in such haste? Could it be that she'd spotted him from afar just like he'd spotted her and then became nervous of his approach? It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. Now he simply had to meet her!

As luck would have it, Virion possessed a certain set of skills that would allow him to find this woman. Lady Emmeryn could wait. For now, all his focus was on the woman in red. Breaking into sprint, he followed the trail she left, mostly consisting of a small path marked with horse tracks. Once outside the city walls, it was a lot easier to track her, as the open fields gave him a good view of her as she moved with such grace that would put many other riders to shame. He smirked. He had a good advantage here. Even without a horse, he was known to move at quite a quick pace. Perhaps it was just another thing the two had in common. Without any more distractions, he followed after her.

Day quickly turned to night as he lost and found her trail more than a few times, which had brought him to the edge of some forest. "I should've studied a bit more about the local geography and topology," he cursed himself. "But I can't let this obstacle slow me down. My fair maiden awaits! I shall not sleep, eat, or drink until I find her." He vowed to himself, maybe a little too dramatically.

With his new found resolve, Virion entered the woods after what could be the love of his life. The glow from the moon couldn't reach the floor in most places as the canopy of leaves extended well overhead. Just one more thing that would get on his way. Hours passed and he pushed on. Then it happened…

At the time, the archer didn't know if it was due to exhaustion, but all the natural sound from the forest simply vanished. There were no insects flying around, no birds flapping their wings, nor any other sound you would expect from a place inhabited by fauna. A shill went down his spine. He was forced to stop there, curious as to what could cause such an event. The earth too, started acting strangely. It started slowly. He felt his body involuntarily sawy little by little until he was struggling trying to keep himself from falling to the ground. "An earthquake?!"

Trees fell left and right. The force that shook the ground was even breaking it up. Forced to move as to not fall in a crevasse, Virion moved as swiftly as possible, dodging falling trees as he did.

The event would throw him another curve ball. The sky suddenly shone as an undescribable ball of light appeared not far from where he stood. "What in the world…?" he whispered, a little out of breath from running around. The ground stopped shaking too, thankfully. And yet, this light kept him on edge. Rightfully so too. He could see figures falling from that odd light! He looked down just in time to see a small cloud of dust heading in the direction of the figures had fallen. That's when he spotted her, atop her horse, graceful as the first time he laid his eyes on her. A small smirk appeared on his lips. "I've found my maiden."

"Captain Chrom!" He heard the redhead yell. "Damn! I knew I shouldn'ta left 'em go without me. Don't worry Captain! I'll bring ya back safe. This… things will have to try my lance!" She moved her lance from her back to her right hand, getting ready to strike at whatever came her way.

Her actions gave enough time for the lady-killer to make his way to her side. "Hold, milady!" he told her. She turned to face him with a confused look on her face. "Your beauty has captivated me and your words have inspired me!" He could tell that this woman wasn't just a fair maiden. Oh, no. She was out for blood. And to get in her favor, he would do his best combat. "Allow me, Virion, the archerest of archers, to fight alongside you. All I ask is that you give me a little of your time after this battle."

She stood there silently, looking at him. His words had captivated her heart, he was sure. Now if he could just-

"The hell are you?!" She furrowed her brow. "I don't know what ya talking about, Ruffles. I can't waste my time with ya, the fight is calling for me." She quickly moved her horse forward, in the direction a group of those fallen men with red eyes were standing.

"R-Ruffles?" Where could she have thought of such a name for him? Had she not heard his name? He looked down a little to look at the accessory he had on his neck. _Ah, she must be talking about my cravat! But for her to refer to me with a nickname… Yes, this is a good sign._

He knew what he had to do. He would have to show her his prowess in combat. He sung the bow he carried on his back and pulled out an arrow. Now all he need to do was to concentrate and take his time.

His maiden, as he'd referred to her, called out to a group of people not far from them. "Don't worry, Captain," she said. "This'll be a piece of cake now I'm here." Her spear cut down one of those animated bodies. When the enemy hit the floor, much to Vironi's astonishment, it transformed into some sort of...purple goo that then evaporated into a mist of the same color. It left nothing behind. The creature's armor and weapon vanished with it.

"Good to have you with us, Sully," the blue haired man with the white cloak responded.

 _Ah, Sully… Such a fitting name!_ He felt happy as now he knew the name of the target of his affection.

"Less talk, more killing those Rise!" This time, it was a man of chestnut colored, slightly messy hair that spoke. He wielded a tome and wore an intriguing coat with a hood, clased together only by two golden pieces close to the neck of the man. The coat was black with a violet hue. It had golden accents on the sleeves and on the ends of it. Some dark-magenta lines went across it, leaving an interesting design.

Another girl, a blonde girl wearing a yellow dress, stood behind those two men, holding onto her staff. Next to her was a beautiful, alluring woman with long, black hair. She left most of her body exposed, only covered by a thin material similar to stockings, and some sloth that covered her more womanly parts. Like the man of the coat, she too wielded a tome.

"I agree," said a mounted knight that wore even more armor than Sully. "We have to dispatch all of these creatures. We can't allow them to escape. Gods know what they would do if they reached Southtown or any other settlement nearby."

Everyone, the white cloaked man, the man of the coat, the girl in the yellow dress, and enchantress, and even Sully nodded. They were making quick work of the enemy, who just kept coming from the woods. Their numbers were slowly thinning out.

Virion couldn't allow any of those men to outshine him. If they killed one, then he would put an arrow through another! His quiver slowly started to feel lighter as he drew another arrow from it and shot it, expertedly hitting one of the creatures right between the eyes. "Magnificent!" He told himself.

The battle was drawing to a close. Now there were just a few stragglers. It was then he noticed that his red lancer, Sully, was in a pickle. She was fighting off an axe wielder with her spear, but was too distracted with combat to take note of her surroundings. He had to protect her! This was also his chance to impress her. He was quite a distance away, but he knew what he had to do. His feet moved faster and faster, trying to close in as much as he could. When the creature pulled up its sword to ambush Sully, Virion jumped in the air and pulled back the string of his bow.

Time slowed down for him. He had to shoot just right or he would be dooming his maiden. _There!_ He squinted his eyes just a little and let the arrow soar through the air. The shaft wobbled from the momentum applied to it, but the arrow flew straight and true. It swooshed past Sully, going through a space between her extended arm that held her spear as she stabbed it onto her enemy and her chest. Sure enough, the arrow brought down the would-be killer. Another shot right between the eyes, eliminating the very last one of the enemies. Virion landed and ran a hand through his hair. "You are safe, Lady Sully." He took a small bow.

Unfortunately for him… His action went unnoticed. The other six members came together. Filled with disappointment, Virion sighed. Nothing else to do but to join them. He walked over to them and noticed there was another figure-one wearing a mask.

"Thank you for saving me back there," the blonde told the masked figure. "You were very brave."

"I also would like to thank you for saving her," the white cloaked man cut in. "You've save my sister's life and helped us during this uncertain situation. My name is Chrom. If you don't mind, could we hear yours?"

"You may call me Marth." That was the response given.

 _Strange_ , Virion thought. _Marth… That is a man's name. He does give off the confidence of a man, and yet, why do I feel like that isn't the case?_

"Marth? Like the Hero king?" the male blunette questioned. "That's not what I would call a common name… But you certainly live up to it. Your fighting style is incredible. Where did you learn to wield your sword?"

"That is non important," _he_ answered. "There is a calamity coming to this world… One that will cost the lives of many. You've already seen the start of it tonight. You have been warned." Just like that, with his last word out of his mouth, he walked away.

That left everyone that remained in a state of confusion. "A prophecy?" the coated man asked. "It's strange timing…"

"This Marth gave off a strange magical vibe," the enchantress commented. The coated man nodded.

"Aye…"

"I'm more concerned about the capital," the knight said. "We should make haste. I'm sure the Exalt is awaiting for our return."

"Then lets go," the bluenette said. "Leaving now will mean we can get there just in time for breakfast." He chuckled. "And I don't know about you guys, but a fight always does something for my appetite.

"Ugh, as long as I don't have to see any more of that bear meat, then I'm more than happy to go," the blonde girl said.

"In that case, why don't ya come with me, Lissa?" Sully offered. "I'm sure ya've been giving the Captain an earful about walking all day." The blonde pouted for a bit before accepting Sully's offer and getting on behind her.

The group started moving. Virion was simply ignored. "I didn't get to speak to Lady Sully!" he said to himself, a little tone of failure in his voice. "No matter… I shall follow after her. Ylisstol, prepare yourself for my return." He jogged on towards the rest of the group. This last few days had been eventful for him. Something told him that this group of people would bring exciting times for him. For now, he would go with them.

* * *

Yes! A Virion chapter! Virion is one of my favorite characters in the game. He's just funny, you know?

Also, I'm curious to know, how many of you got the reference for the spell Robin and Tharja used during combat on Chapter 2? It used to be one of my favorite animations. I was disappointed that it changed in Awakening. If you can tell me what it is, you get 100 internet points~


	4. And so they joined

Hello again, everyone! I'm back with some more of my little story here.

This turned out to be a pretty long chapter. I went back and cut out some stuff to move things along a little faster. I mean, this is almost 7000 words of just story! Originally, the point the chapter ended was supposed to be the point the _previous_ chapter ended! Could you imagine? That would've been one big chapter. In the end, I decided to break it into two parts for that and because there were things that I couldn't do with this second half had it been in Virion's perspective. I'm not a fan of switching perspectives through the same chapter. I personally get confused by it, especially when it goes back and forth very couple of paragraphs.

This time, I went with someone else's perspective once again! Having a little fun with it, you know? I'm taking advantage of it. The next one or two chapters will be back to Robin.

Anyways, thanks to everyone that has followed, favorite, and reviewed the story so far. Seeing the numbers go up, even if it's just by one each time, makes me want to write all the more.

* * *

 _Chapter 4: And so they joined_

To a certain princess, life… Life has it's ups and downs. In the span of two and a half days, this phrase couldn't have proven more true for her. It all started when her brother, Chrom, had decided to journey out, as the captain of the Shepherds, to investigate claims of bandits attacking settlements to the south of the capital. As always, if Chrom leaves the safety of the palace, then so does Frederick. This means there is nooo one she can have fun with, given that Emmeryn, her older sister, is swamped with work with being an Exalt and all and her best friend since she can remember, Maribelle, has been away for almost two weeks.

Being alone in the palace has never been fun. The people that help them all are nice to her, but it's just that she can't have the same fun with them than she can with the Shepherds. The only logical thing to do was to go with his brother and Frederick. After all, having a healer with them couldn't be bad. You can never be too safe. That's what he told them and after a lot of pressure, puppy eyes, and a little whining, Frederick gave in. They set off south that same day.

Here's where the whole "ups and downs" comes into play. She was going on an adventure with people she liked (up.) But she had to walk there (down.) As tiring as it was for her body, being outdoors always brought the best out of her (up,) expect for all the creepy-crawlies and fliers that kept trying to get in her mouth (down.) Then, oddly enough, they'd stumbled upon an odd pair-two Plegian black mages (exciting sort of up!) Frederick, being the cautious type he was, treated them very badly thought (down.) Chrom, on the other hand, tried to have them _join_ on their mission, which, given their choices, the man named Robin accepted (up.)

This sort of up and down thing just kept happening for the _whole_ trip. But now it was over! They were Ylisstol was just in view when Robin seemingly perked up and said, "so that's Ylisstol, huh? It's much bigger than I expected. A lot more peaceful too, considering...past events."

Lissa knew what events he was referring to. Ylisse's past wasn't so bright before her sister was made Exalt. Even after she became the Exalt, it was a big trial for her then 10 year old sister. Lissa couldn't do anything about that now, so she tried to keep a lively conversation. "You've never been outside of Plegia, Robin?" she asked, curious about knowing the man a bit more.

Robin responded by shaking his head. "Nah," he said. "When I was young I never got the time." He chuckled. "You could say that as I got older it was just more of the same, although for different reasons. This is my first time outside Plegia"

She pouted a little. That didn't tell her a lot about him. She wouldn't complain about it outloud (yet.) Instead, she would make sure to poke him about it whenever she got the chance. The fact that he and his companion Tharja were coming with her and the other two Shepherds had to mean that Robin was willing to join them!

As they got ever closer to the city, Lissa entered a conversation that Robin was having with Tharja about the architecture in Ylisse compared to that of Plegia. It was an interesting topic, as she had never had a chance to visit Plegia.

When they reached the city, Sully said she would be heading back to the Shepherds headquarters for the time being. Sully had come to aid them just in time! It was good that she was so strong and reliable. Thanks to her and the strange man that decided to follow after her, they'd being able to come out victorious out of the whole living-dead thing earlier that morning.

Viroin, the strange character Sully had (unknowingly) dragged with her, had come with them too, quoting something about following his heart and blah blah blah. The man was funny, Lissa would give him that. She looked like a noble and was an extremely good shot with a bow, but his strange obsession towards the female lancer was just a tad bit creepy.

Thier group was reduced by two once again, leaving the group with five once again. They'd walked pretty far into the city by then when they heard a bit of a commotion further ahead. "Ah," Frederick said. "That must be the Exalt." They all turned their attention over to a figure walking at the center of the commotion. Sure enough, that was Emm.

"So that's Emmeryn, huh?" said Robin. "I've got to say, she is a whole lot more than what I was expecting. But isn't it dangerous for her to just walk around her people like that? King Gangrel would never do that."

"Emmeryn sees the best in her people," Chrom said. "She thinks that they would never bring any harm towards her. That's why she walks instead of ride a carriage. It's not like she isn't protected at all times. Her personal bodyguard, Phila, is a very skilled member of the Pegasus Knights. She goes wherever Emmeryn goes. She is the woman walking not too far behind the Exalt."

Robin nodded in a thoughtful manner, but Tharja looked suspiciously over at Chrom. "Why do you call her Exalt?" she asked, but continued before giving any of the others a chance to answer. "I thought she was your sister." Chrom and Lissa exchanged looks, a little surprised by the black mage's words.

Robin saw this and spoke up. "Was that supposed to be a secret? I mean, Chrom, you have your mark of the Exalt right there on you shoulder! It's on full view."

"It wasn't really a secret," Lissa said, looking at the two with a small smile. They were both really detail oriented, she could already tell. "I think we were just surprised because people usually attach titles like lord and lady when talking with us. Well, except for the Shepherds."

"You two didn't bring it up yourselves, so we thought you didn't mind it or didn't want us to know about it."

Robin had a point. Not that it mattered much anyways. They didn't have a particular reason for keeping it from them. Things had just turned out that way, to Frederick's pleasure she didn't doubt.

"A little off topic, but would you two like to meet her?" Chrom asked. Lissa wasn't sure, but she could swear Frederick flinched there for just a second. "If you are joining the Shepherds, it'll be good to present yourselves to Emm. More so you, Robin. You'll be our tactician, after all."

This time it was Robin and Tharja exchanging looks. _I wonder if they are talking using Robin's brain-talky magic,_ she thought, amused about the idea of two people _literally_ being able to know what the other is thinking from just looking at each other. She would have to ask RObin more about it later.

"I suppose if we have to, then we should," Robin answered for them both. "It's one of those opportunities that you tell your grandkids about." Robin chuckled a little.

So it was that they headed to the palace located at the heart of the city. They were greeted at the door by some workers, who eyed both Robin and Tharja suspiciously. It reminded Lissa about how Frederick had done the same thing to them when they first met. He kept doing it too, she could tell. They moved through the place, going from one room to another, until they reached the throne room, where Emm would normally be.

"I guess she isn't back yet, huh?" Lissa said a little disappointed.

"We can just wait here for her, no?" Robin pointed out. "Her schedule must be packed, I'm sure."

Chrom nodded and smiled. "Yeah, we'll wait for her. It's as you say. She hardly has any time for herself, and when she does she uses it to go out to see her people."

"I appreciated the compliment, Chrom," a voice from behind them cut in. It was Emmeryn! She was giggling too. As to be expected, Phila was with her, stoic as ever. Lissa always thought that Frederick and her had to be siblings. They were always the serious type. "It's good to see you and Lissa return safe. Sir Frederick, I'm sorry for any trouble they might have caused you."

"No, milady," Frederick quickly said, taking a bow. "It is my honor to serve."

They all followed Emmeryn with their eyes, as she walked to the throne and took a sit, Phila standing to her left. "I hope you don't mind me sitting," the Exalt said, sighing. "It's been a tiring day."

"Not at all, Emm," Chrom said. "We understand. I have a couple of things I would like to speak with you about."

"Could that have anything to do with your guests here?" She smiled at Robin and Tharja, who just looked at her. Surely they were waiting for Chrom to introduce them.

"Given the current state of affairs between Ylisse and Plegia," Phila started. "I would recommend against having two unknown Plegians in such close proximity to the Exalt. More so in such a confined space."

"Peace, Phila. My brother must have a reason to bring them here. If he trusts them, then so will I."

Chrom used this opportunity to explain what had happened. Meeting with Robin and Tharja, the attack at the village, and the strange event that had happened in the middle of the night. "Both of Robin and Tharja have proven themselves to be valuable allies. It was through Robin's abilities with tactics that we came back unharmed, Emm. That's why I want to let them both join the Shepherds and name Robin our tactician."

Emmeryn looked very thoughtful. The request wasn't an easy one for sure. If the decision was up to Lissa, she wouldn't even think twice to allowing them to join. Then again, she'd already seen them in action. Perhaps that was why she wasn't the Exalt. Not that she even wanted to be. It sounded like a lot of hard work and no fun at all. She admired her sister for being able to keep doing such a good job ever since she was named the Exalt.

Emm looked over to Robin and Tharja and asked, "why would you want to help us, if I may ask? As Phila said and I'm sure you are aware, Plegia has been trying to instigate a war with Ylisse for quite some time."

Robin took a step forward, putting him closer to Emmeryn than anyone else. Lissa didn't feel like there was any danger in him doing that, but she saw Phila squinting her eyes at the tactician and her arms even fell to her side as if preparing for the worst.

"Plegia might be my birthplace, but I don't share the views of the Mad King," Robin said. Lissa couldn't see her voice, but with the tone in his voice, she could tell he wasn't smiling. "I'm 22 years old, your grace. By anyone's account, I'm still young. Yet, I've suffered great despair in the last 15 years. You see, my parents were farmers… I didn't live a life of luxury when I was a child, but they were good parents. They never hid the fact that they weren't my birth parents. They treated me just like their blood son, but the truth was that they found me when I was but a toddler, on the hands on my death birth mother. The only thing I have of the one that I assumed protected me by giving her life is the robe I wear now." He extended his arms to show it a bit more.

Lissa felt her heart sink in a little. Why was he telling all this? She felt bad for Robin, but…

"My parents were killed by Ylissean soldiers when the invasion happened 15 years ago."

This was a development that no one could ignore. Phila had her hand on the hilt of her sword, expecting Robin to make a move. Chrom looked really uncomfortable, maybe even guilty. Frederick too was ready to defend the Exalt should it come to that. Even Tharja didn't seem to know anything about this.

Robin chuckled. "Peace," he handed his tome over to Frederick, to everyone's surprise. "Would you allow me to continue, your highness? I think it's important for everyone here to hear my words just as much as it is for me to say them."

Emmery, once more, looked thoughtful, but she nodded in agreement. Lissa could feel her heart racing a little. She wasn't so much worried now. Frederick had Robin's tome. But was it right for them to hear such a personal story from someone they'd just met.

"Thank you, your highness. As I was saying, my parents were but a casualty of war. I won't disrespect anyone here by saying I was angry and even hated Ylisse for what they've done. I was a 7 year old child and my parent had been cut down while trying to protect me, much like my birth mother was.

"My village was put to the torch. That left me with nothing. I was lucky and was able to salvage this robe, which was the robe my birth mother had on her when we were found, and a couple of trinkets. That's all I have from that life. I was taken in a black mage by the time the war had ended. He was the one that taught me the basics and even gave me the tome Sir Frederick holds.

"I studied day in and day out, as much as I could. Not for vengeance, mind you, but because it kept me distracted. That went on for almost ten years. I won't bore you with the details of that. After that, a man approached my master and offered to further my studies even more. I'd already learned all that I could from him, so I was taken to a...darker place."

Lissa could feel cold sweat as Robin recounted his story, going into gruesome detail about the things he'd suffered in his time with the second teacher. Her mouth went dry and she couldn't even speak. She couldn't even move. The same thing could be said from everyone there. All they did was just listen to him.

Suddenly, Robin let his robe fall to the ground. He started taking off a small sort of yellow coat, the same color as the accents on his robe. That too hit the floor. _Why is he doing that?_ she thought. It was bizarre. When she saw him going for his shirt, that confused her even more. Only when he removed it, she understood. Robin's torso was covered in scars. Big, small, cuts, and burns. Some of these trailed to his arms as well.

"You see, it turns out, the second man that took me in worked for King Gangrel. He'd heard of a young prodigee that had gained a lot of magical knowledge in a short amount of time, so he wanted to train me to become part of the elite dark mage guard. Beating and sometimes even torture can be used on someone in those cases as part of the training. Compared to what you must do here, this must come to a shock for you. When the Mad King says you'll become something, that's what happens. That or your are put to the sword. Not a good ending, either way you look at it.

"You see, I met Tharja some days ago." Tharja clutched her tome. She had to know where this was going. "She too was taken in by that same man under orders of King Gangrel. I think you'll understand why I couldn't let her go through the same things I had for the last few years. I tried to run away and take her with me, but I was caught even before I had a chance to talk to her. I was being beaten to a pulp when she intervened. She saved my life, so I had to save her.

"The only way to escape the grasp and fury of the King was to leave Plegia all together. Goin to Valm was our best option… But we had not much on us to pay for passage. That's how we found ourselves in Ylisse."

He started picking up his clothes, starting with the shirt. He pulled it over his head and tucked in the end under his leather sash. "I don't have a problem with you or any other person from Ylisse, your highness." He picked up the yellow coat next. "You are not your father. The people responsible for my parents' death are long gone. I don't feel anything but respect towards you after being able to do all you've done." Finally, the robe. "The only man I hate is King Gangrel. So I only ask you don't judge me for the actions of others, as I don't judge you for the acts committed by your father."

For a long time, the room was silent. No one dared say a word or even make a move. Lissa was grateful that, despite his past and knowing that her and Chrom were children to the man that caused him to lose his parents, Robin didn't have any sort of ill will towards them. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little responsible for what had happened to him.

"I see," Emmeryn spoke up. "I understand a little better now, but I still feel like you've avoided my question."

Robin chuckled. He was adjusting his robe and fiddling with the golden straps that kept it closed as he answered. "I suppose you are right. Forgive me, your highness. You see, Chrom reminds me of that same old man that took me in after my parent died. Despite knowing where we came from, he's been nothing but friendly towards us. He even offered me a job. For someone that has nothing to his name-no titles, no lands, and no money-and is running away, the opportunity of having some roof over my head and food and drink in my stomach is enticing."

In response, Emm smiled at Robin and even giggled a little too. "Oh? I don't think that's the whole reason, Sir Robin." She stood up from the throne and walked over to Robin. "I feel a light within you; one that tells me that you are trying to do good."

"I have many debts to pay. It's true."

"Well then, I won't oppose my brother's decision on letting you two join the Shepherds. The Shepherds are his. I trust his judgement. You've given me much to think about, but I'm glad you've shared your story with me, Sir Robin."

Robin bowed to her. "My pleasure, your highness. But, if I may, please, just call me Robin. Like I said, I hold no lands nor titles. I feel weird being referred to as Sir." He scratched the back of his head and offered her a smile.

"Very well, Robin it is," Emmeryn said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with some people from my counsel. I hope we may talk another time."

Once more, Robin bowed. "Of course."

With that, both Emmeryn and Phila took their leave. The original five stood on the room for a bit, in silence, until Robin asked Frederick if he could have him tome back. Frederick didn't hesitate to return the book to it's rightful owner.

"That was quite a story, Robin," Chrom said, approaching him and putting a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "With everything that's happened, I'm sure you two must be tired. Let me show you guys to a place to rest for tonight. Tomorrow you'll meet the rest of the Shepherds too. All the more reason to relax." He laughed.

"What do you think, Tharja," Robin asked.

Tharja looked a little gloomy. The story must've given her a lot to think about. Lissa didn't think the older girl was much of a talker or a cheery gal, but still. This was too much even coming from her. "I suppose…" she finally said.

"Then let us show you to some rooms," Frederick said, looking a lot more like his normal self. "You can use them for now until we find you a more permanent place."

"Much obliged," said Robin.

As the group was leaving the room, Lissa stopped and looked to her side. She thought she'd seen someone she recognized turning a corner further down the hallway. Chrom turned to face his sister. "Something wrong?"

"Oh!" Lissa let out, a little surprised. She put a smile for her brother. "I think I saw Maribelle over there. Don't mind me, I'll see you all later!" She waved the others goodbye and then followed after the girl she was sure was her best friend.

"Maribelle!" Lissa called out as she turned the corner. She had to sprint all the way there to catch up to the other blonde girl. Because of that, she was caught a little out of breath.

"Oh, darling, what's gotten into you that you would be so out of breath?" The other girl, Maribelle, asked, concerned about her friend's current state. "I heard from Sully that you had returned, so I had to make sure I saw you were doing all right. She told me you had to sleep in the cold outdoors. I was worried about you!"

Lissa, once she caught her breath, laughed for a bit. For as long as they'd been friends, Maribelle had always been overprotective of her. Lissa admired her for how she could always carry herself so well, giving out this aura you would expect of a noble. That was something that Lissa just couldn't do.

"Yeah, we just got back," Lissa told her friend. "We were talking with Emm. We beat all the bad guys at Southtown and even got two new members for the Shepherds!"

"Oh my, so that man that has been chasing Sully around is now a Shepherd?"

Lissa was confused by the question. Robin was with her the whole time. Who could she… "Ah!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot all about him. No, I'm not sure what the deal is with that guy. I think he said his name was Virion or something like that. He seems like a funny guy."

Maribelle held strongly onto her parasol. "You speak too fondly of him, darling. A man that harassess a woman like that isn't worth a second look. But perhaps your other two new acquaintances have better manners. We should discuss this over some tea. What do you think?"

That was the Maribelle that Lissa knew and loved. Spending time with her was always fun. Except when the other girl would scold her about mannerisms not deemed good for a princess. She didn't mind the comments too much though, as she knew that Maribelle only meant good with them. She instantly smiled and perked up, giving the other blonde a small nod. "I would really like that. I haven't had anything to drink since yesterday! I throat is dry like a desert."

"Parched, dear, parched," Maribelle corrected. "Alright, lets go to a more suitable room. I hardly think standing in this hallway will get us what we want."

The pair now found themselves in Lissa's room. They'd gotten someone to bring them a nice tea set, but Maribelle had insisted on preparing the tea herself. Lissa didn't object. She knew that Maribelle had as much knowledge about tea as she had about pranks (just another thing Maribelle said wasn't lady like, but it sure was fun!) When the tea was ready, they both sat on a small table close to the open glass doors that lead to a balcony. A refreshing cool breeze flowed through the room. The atmosphere was really relaxing.

"So, darling," Maribelle started as she held her tea cup in one hand and mixed it with a spoon she held on her other hand. "Do tell me about these two new members you're so taken with."

Lissa sipped on her tea, making sure to keep the pinky from the hand she was using to hold the cup out, much to Maribelle's approval. "Huh?" she said. "What makes you say that I'm taken with them?"

"Oh please! If that wasn't the case, you would be talking my ears out about why you _didn't_ like them." She said it such a matter-of-fact way that didn't leave any room for Lissa to argue.

"F-fine! But don't get any wrong ideas…" Maribelle giggled and gave her a reassuring nod, both to let her know she would keep it a secret and to let her know she should continue. "It all started when we were on our way to Southtown…" She started. It was so that she explained the whole story of the past couple of days to her friend, including what Robin had just spoken about in the throne room with Emm. Maribelle kept silent all the while, taking in every detail that the princess said and drinking the warm tea she had.

By the end of the story, Maribelle didn't really know how to react. Lissa did seem to approve of these two Plegians, but… "I feel a little conflicted with your story," she let Lissa know.

Lissa gasped, surprised by her words. "C-conflicted? But why? They aren't bad people! Robin is really nice. I'm sure Tharja is too, if they are traveling together."

"Forgive me, Lissa, I don't want to sound rude. From your story, they sound like very decent people. Especially this Sir Robin you speak of. The man has good character."

Confused, Lissa just had to ask, "then what's the problem?"

Maribelle sighed heavily, looking down at her tea cup. She grabbed the teapot and poured Lissa and herself some more tea. "You know of the current state of affairs between Ylisse and Plegia, yes?" She waited until she got an affirmation from the girl sitting across from her. "My family's land is close to the border between our nation and theirs. As such, we've suffered from the constant bandit bands that cross the border to wreak havoc only to cross back once the deed is done."

Lissa frowned. "But it's like Robin said! We can't blame him and Tharja for something _they_ didn't have a part on."

Maribelle sighed once again. "I know you are right, darling. Perhaps...once I meet them I'll my heart will stop clouding my judgement…"

"That's perfect then!" Lissa was so happy to hear those words that she sprung from her seat. Maribelle didn't get a chance to say anything negative about the girls actions, as Lissa spoke once again. "Chrom was thinking about presenting them to the rest of the Shepherds tomorrow. You should go too! That way you can meet them and get to know them in person. Yes! That settles it. You'll stay here with me tonight and then, tomorrow, we'll go to the headquarters and meet with everyone." Lissa nodded with confidence, amazed at her own brilliance. With ideas like that she too could be a tactician!

Lissa was so excited about it that Maribelle didn't have the heart to deny the arrangement. At the very least, she would get to sleep over and talk all night with her best friend. It wasn't all that bad. It was like this that she agreed to accompany Lissa the next day. The rest of that day was simply spent on gossip, Lissa talking about how bear meat was terrible, and just catching up.

The next morning, Lissa had woken early for a change. Although she still looked quite tired and drowsy and even kept yawning, she _had_ to get up. _Nothing a bath won't do_ , she thought. Sure enough, the bath woke her up. Oh, but it wasn't because the water was nice, no. Someone had told the people preparing the bath that the princess wanted it to be ice cold. Lissa could've sworn she was going to freeze to death. Preparing a new, warm bath would take too long. She had to settle with the freezing water, even if her skin had goosebump and her teeth kept shattering.

She returned to her room re _freshed_. She smiled after seeing that Maribelle had returned from her bath as well. Lissa would have to put a pin on seeking revenge from whoever it was that had pulled a big one on her. Oh, vengeance would be sweet. As they say, revenge is a dish best served cold. She could hear her own maniacal laugh going on her head, not that her outside smiling face would let anyone know what was going on in there.

"Ready to head out?" the princess asked the lady.

"Certainly, darling," Maribelle responded, returning the smile the cheerful Lissa wore.

The garrison wasn't far away from the palace, thankfully. They reached them in just a few minutes. Taking an example from her sister's book, they walked all the way there, exchanging greetings with some of the city folk that were around. As they entered, Lissa could already see some Shepherds were there. "Chrom told them to come for sure," Lissa muttered to herself, just low enough that Maribelle couldn't hear anything.

A voice came from behind the two girl, startling only Lissa. "Oh, I didn't expect you to be here," the voice said. Lissa turned to see the source.

"Ah, Robin!" Any anguish and fear she just washed away from her. "It's good to see you. Did Chrom ask you to come?" The tactician didn't get a chance to respond, as Lissa immediately followed up with more. "Huh, he's not with you? Oh, and what about Tharja? I thought for sure you two would be coming here together."

Robin laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Tharja is right here," he said before sidestepping, revealing the other dark mage. "She just keep walking behind me, despite how many times I ask her to at least walk by my side."

Tharja gave one of those giggles of hers that sent the tiniest chill down Lissa's back. "I'm just watching out for your back, Master Robin," she said with a smile.

"You know that phrase isn't about literally looking at someone's back, right?" Robin asked, almost defeated.

Lissa just laughed. That face he had! It was more hilarious than the situation. That only caused the tactician to frown at the princess. "I-I'm sorry," she said between breaths. "Your face was just too funny! Hahahaha."

Maribelle, becoming impatient, coughed into her first. "Oh!" Lissa said, stopping her fit and looking at her friend. "Sorry about that. Maribelle, this is Robin and that girl there is Tharja. They are the people I talked to you about."

"She didn't say anything too bad or embarrassing about us, I hope," Robin said with a smile.

"Not at all," Maribelle responded. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And this is Maribelle!" Lissa continued the introductions. "She is my oldest and bestest friend of all. She is a healer too, although she rides a horse waaaaay better than me."

Robin bowed, but Tharja stayed static, simply eyeing Maribelle. "It's a pleasure," Robin said. As he looked over at Tharja, he added, "right, Tharja?"

"Yes, yes," Tharja muttered, looking away from everyone.

"Ah, please forgive her… She is not the most...social person, you see?"

Maribelle looked turned off by the actions of the female black mage. She would've voiced her displeasure had Lissa not read her body language and intervened. "It's fine, it's fine," Lissa said, trying to defuse the situation. "Some people just warm up to others slowly." This was also a poke at Maribelle, as she wasn't known to be the friendliest of people either. "Let's head in and wait for Chrom and Frederick inside. It'll give you two a chance to meet the rest of the Shepherds."

The door swung open and the four of them came in, Lissa feeling proud to be the guide for Robin's and Tharja's tour of the garrison. "Here we are! The Shepherds' garrison. Here's where you'll find most Shepherds at any given time. We wait here for orders from Chrom before we dispatch and such."

"Cozy," Robin said.

"Ah, the squirt is back!" A loud voice pointed out. "Ol' Teach is happy to see everything went well." The man that voice belonged too approached the group. Another blonde, though his skin was a lot tanner than Lissa's and Maribelle's, mainly due to training under the hot sun so often. "And you even brought some people with you!"

"This is Vaike," Lissa said, pointing at the man for Robin and Tharja. "He calls himself Old Teach because he smell like an old fart."

Vaike was nodding at her words all the way. Then everyone went quiet. "Wait," Vaike said, coming to a realization. "You making fun of me, squirt?"

Lissa laughed and even Maribelle giggled a little, but Robin and Tharja stated stoic. "Hahaha, took you long enough to realize."

"Lissa!" Another voice interrupted. This voice belonged to a young girl with gray-brown hair. The Pegasus Knight Sumia. She approached the group excited to see the princess' return. "I'm happy to see you are back! But, um...where is the captain?"

"Ah yes," Maribelle said. "Our dear Sumia here has been so worried about Chrom ever since you set off. She got so distracted looking at the distance that she got some bruises in practice because of it."

Sumia flushed madly. Everyone knew that she cared deeply for Chrom...except for Chrom himself, that is. "Aw, Sumia," Lissa said, clasping her hands together and bringing them up to her chest. "That's so sweet of you."

The comment only made her blush even more. Now her whole face was slowly turning red.

"Stop teasing the girl, Lissa," the familiar voice of Sully came from her right. "She has it hard enough already."

Following behind Sully, Lissa noticed that the man named Virion was there too. "Ah, yes," he started with some flare in his voice. "The matters of the heart are not to be mocked or looked down on, my dear princess. We should support our comrade in her journey for the young prince's heart."

"Y-you are not helping!" Sumia let out in a roar, to which everyone laughed. "Yeez, you have been here less than a day and even you…" she sighted in defeat.

With everything that had happened, Lissa still hadn't had a chance to introduce Robin and Tharja. Just as she was about to, the door swung open once again. "Oh, everyone is here," said Chrom. He entered the garrison with Frederick following not far behind.

"Captain!" Sumia said happily, moving a bit forward only to fall on her face after a single step.

"Sumia! Are you alright?" Chrom asked with a look of concern. "Those blasted boots are going to be the death of you. You really should get new ones."

Sumia laughed nervously as she picked herself up. "R-right, the boots. I'm fine, don't worry Captain. I-I just have to get used to them, it's all."

"Have you had a chance to make new friends, Robin?"

Robin smirked a little. "Haven't even had a chance to introduce myself to anyone other than Maribelle here," he said. "I will say, this is a lively bunch you got here."

"Okay everyone, your attention, please," Chrom said. "I would like to present our two newest additions to the Shepherds. Well, besides Virion over there. This is Tharja and Robin. They are black mages with a lot of skill. We've already seen them in action in Southtown. Furthermore, Robin will be our tactician from now on wards."

"Nice to meet you all," said Robin, elbowing Tharja so that she would say the same. Eventually she did.

 _Everyone went silent. Why?_ Lissa questioned, her eyes darting from one person to the next.

"Dark mages, hu'?" Sully said. "That mean they're both-"

"Plegian, correct," Robin said. The smile the man had been wearing now vanished. He looked as cautious as Tharja now.

"Sorry to say this, but, Captain, ya' pulling our leg, right?" Sully asked, looking directly at Chrom. "Ya know how things are at the border. Ya can't just let these two-"

"Enough, Sully," said the bluenette. "I won't have you question my decision. As I've said. Both Tharja and Robin have proven they can be trusted in combat. They helped save Southtown. You've seen them in action too. So I won't have you question their abilities or their allegiance just because of your own personal history."

Harsh words. Lissa wasn't sure what her brother meant with the last bit about personal history, but this was the first time she'd seen Sully act in such a way towards any of Chrom's decisions. To make matters worse, she could tell that Vaike too felt more than a little uncomfortable about the whole thing.

"The Shepherds have a new mission," Chrom said more gently, yet, keeping the authority on his tone as he changed the subject. "We're to leave for Regna Ferox on the morrow. We need to ask for their aid against the new menace of what we are calling the Risen; the same vile creatures we fought yesterday."

"This sounds like a diplomatic mission," Robin said as he rubbed his chin. "Wouldn't it be wiser for the Exalt to go there herself or to send someone from her counsel? The Feroxi may see hostility should an armed group this big try to cross the corner."

Chrom nodded in agreement. "Yes, normally Emmeryn would ask for aid herself. Given the circumstances, the people will need her now more than ever, which is why she's asked us to go on her stead.

"The Feroxi are a tough bunch too. Having people with knowledge in combat will do us good, in case they want to test us in some way or another."

"Sound reasoning."

"In any case, this is a strictly voluntary mission. If you don't feel comfortable with the situation, you can stay behind." Chrom eyed both Sully and Vaike. "If you are coming, say 'Aye'."

"Aye," said everyone except for Maribelle and Sumia. Lissa had expected Sully and Vaike to back out, considering their personal circumstances, but Sumia and Maribelle?

"Unfortunately, I have to return to my home," said Maribelle. "I trust the safety of my Lissa to you, prince Chrom." She turned to face Robin. "And to you too, Sir Robin. As the tactician, everyone's safety falls on you as much as it falls on Chrom."

"You got my word that I'll return everyone safely," Robin reassured her and Maribelle took her leave, saying her goodbyes.

Chrom smiled at Robin, surely pleased to hear what the confidence in the tactician's voice. He turned his attention at the other member that hadn't volunteered. "What about you, Sumia?" he asked. "It's fine if you don't want to go, but I would like to know why, if you don't mind."

"I um…" Sumia fiddle with her skirt while looking for her words. "It's just that...I don't know if I'm ready for actual combat yet. I feel like I need more practice. As Maribelle pointed out earlier, I still get hit quite a bit during practice."

"But you practice with a sword, no? You are a Pegasus Knight. You should be practicing with your lance more often. Also, there's a lot you won't learn until you try actual combat. If you don't feel ready yet, then that's fine. But I think you could learn a lot, even if it's by just watching the rest of us fight."

"I don't know…"

"You can stay at the back of the group then. Only fight if you think you can take it."

Sumia submitted to Chrom's words in the end. It was like that that the members were decided. It would be Chrom, Frederick, Robin, Tharja, Sully, Vaike, Virion, Sumia, and herself. The rest of the Shepherds not present, like Miriel, Ricken, and Kellam would just have to either catch up to them later or wait for their return.

"Alright, everyone," Chrom said with some excitement in his voice. "Get anything you may need ready for travel. Robin, there are something things I would like to discuss with you. Other than that, you're all dismissed."

They'd only been back for a short time and they were already going to leave the comfort of their home once more. All Lissa could think was that there was no way in hell she wouldn't take some bug repellent with her this time. That and a horse. The wall that divided Ferox from Ylisse was a long way away. Her poor feet wouldn't take her that far. "I'll just ride with Sully again," she told herself.

* * *

A chapter in Lissa's perspective! This was kinda hard for me. I've never written a whole piece purely from a female's perspective, so it was a good experience. I've played females on RPs before, but they were usually side characters. Good thing is that Lissa is a lot of fun! More so when you add Maribelle to the mix, hahaha.

For those wondering about the answer for the question on the previous chapter, **Tumerboy12** and **Muggzy** got it right! The answer is Flux from the GBA games. Man, all those sprite attacks... I sure do miss them. The critical hits looked so cool! And so, those two earned 100 internet points.

Here is the next question for another 100 internet points! I'll keep it within the theme of this chapter. I'll just say, I was going to give the answer in the chapter, but it was something I cut out in the end.

What is Lissa's and Maribelle's favorite tea?

 **Muggzy**

Same here! That's also why I'm experimenting with changing POV's from chapter to chapter. Gives it that extra something to keep things interesting since you get to see what's going on with other characters when they are not "on screen."

I'm glad you've like it so far and thank you for your words of encouragement.


	5. And so we traveled

I covered a lot of ground with this one, but tried to keep it a bit shorter than the last chapter. I want this story to go somewhere. The pacing feels right to me. Consider that this is still the beginning of the game's first arc. This will turn out to be a long story for sure. More so if I add my own arc(s) which I'm already planning little by little. I won't give away too much about it.

Also, for the romance lovers, I've been thinking about pairings. I even made a couple of charts and everything. It's so difficult, you know? I want to have all the future children appear… I could always just pair up come characters with Solder #6 or Villager #14, but where is the fun in that?

Enough ramble, here is the story now! Remember to leave a review, follow the story, and/or favorite it if you like it. Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 5: And so we traveled_

The morning they were to set off, the group of Shepherds gathered just outside the city. Chrom, and Robin were the first to show up. They'd gone through the trouble of getting some of the more general supplies ready. Frederick, Tharja, and Lissa showed up not long after, each of which carried just a few personal belongings with them. Robin and Chrom greeted them as they approached.

"What's with the wagon?" Lissa asked, tilting her head to a side as she eyed the wooden wagon with a canopy on it. "I thought we would be riding there."

"Robin thought it would be a good idea to haul supplies this way," Chrom told his sister.

"This way we can take a bit more stuff without having to bring as many horses," Robin added. "I don't know who can ride a horse or not, so this way we don't have to ride doubles all the way. A few people can rest up inside the wagon. If we run into trouble, it'll be best to have as many people fully charged up to defend ourselves."

"I'm impressed, Robin," said Frederick with just the slightest smile. "You are already taking your job seriously."

"I don't want my first task as a Shepherd to go down in history as a catastrophe, do I" Robin said jokingly. "You guys can put the supplies in the wagon. We are just waiting for the rest to show up."

"Who is riding in it?" Lissa asked as she threw a small bag on the back of it. "Oh! More importantly! Can I drive it?" Chrom's hand met his face.

"You can barely ride a horse, Lissa," he reminded her. "I would feel safer if you just rode on the back."

"Aww, come on, Chrom!" Lissa pouted. "How many times do we actually get to do something like this?"

"I'll drive it, don't worry," Robin interrupted. "It wouldn't be my first time doing it. Although...It's been a years since the last time."

"Who else is riding in it?" Tharja asked.

"Sully and Frederick are mounted fighters, so they'll bring their own horses. Sumia is a Pegasus Knight, which means she'll bring her pegasus with her. And Chrom, being the leader, will also get a horse."

"I'm don't mind riding a horse to move from place to place," Chrom said. "If we are attacked, I much rather fight with my feet firmly planted on the ground."

Robin nodded. "I don't see that as a problem." He turned back to look at the princess. "Going back to your question, Lissa. That leaves you, Tharja, Virion, Vaike, and I on the wagon. With that and the supplies, it'll be a bit of a tight fit, but bringing another wagon would be excessive with our numbers."

"Does that mean Kellam is not coming?" Lissa asked.

"Kellam?"

"Oh, he wasn't there when we introduced you guys to the rest, huh?" Asked Chrom. He rubbed his chin as if trying to remember when was the last time he saw the man. "I wonder if someone told him about this mission."

The thought was pushed aside as the rest of the company showed up-Sully, Virion, Vaike, and Sumia. Chrom declared they were all ready to leave for Ferox. Those that had horses mounted up. Those that were going to be on the wagon entered. As Robin had mentioned before, it was a tight fit. He sat at the front-the only real seat on the thing-while the rest were under the canopy. Just behind him, Lissa sat next to Tharja. In front of them was Virion. Vaike sat at the very back, with his legs hanging out of the wagon. A small wall of supplies separated him from the group.

They set off in a normal formation. Chrom and Frederick were at the front with Sully following close behind them. Those three were chatting about different things, like combat and such. Robin was glad that him and Tharja weren't the topic of conversation, considering how hostile Sully had been to them the day before. Similarly, at the back, Vaike was chatting with Sumia, who was riding her pegasus. Chrom had ordered her to follow at the end of the line to prevent her from getting hurt if combat was to happen.

Overall, the atmosphere was a lot less tense than it had been the day before. From behind him he could hear Lissa talking with Tharja. Well, more like _trying_ to talk to her. It was a very one sided conversation, with Virion including himself whenever he could. The topic of their conversation took a turn for something interesting after a while.

"Tharja, aren't you traveling a little too lightly?" Lissa asked, choosing her words carefully. Robin chuckled at the situation. Tharja's clothes were just very eye catching.

"I don't have much to bring with me, princess," Tharja said, a little warmer than her usual self. "Or did you forget that Master Robin and I came here with nothing more than our clothes, our tomes, and some gold?" Maybe not.

"I-I didn't mean to sound rude," Lissa nervously said. Robin knew that the princess had to tread carefully around Tharja. The black mage was pretty good with her hexes. "I could've lend you a coat. Regna Ferox is covered in snow almost year round. It's going to be pretty cold up there."

"Milady!" Virion immediately butted in. "But wouldn't it be a shame to cover such a beauty?"

"She's still going to be cold!"

The sun was bearing down on them. Robi had to squint all along to protect his eyes a little from the intense brightness. While holding on to the rein with one hand, he pulled up his hood. The miniature, personal shade helped a lot. There was no need to keep squinting anymore.

A chuckle brought him back to the conversation that was happening behind him. He half turned to look at Tharja. He could see that she didn't have any intentions of answering the blonde girl. If that was the case, he would do it. "She doesn't need a coat," Robin finally spoke. He could feel the eyes of the two women and Virion on his back.

"Yes! Sir Robin here understands!" Virion said happily.

Tharja rolled her eyes. "Don't group him up with the likes of you," she said.

"So, Robin," Lissa interrupted the bickering. "How can you be so sure that she won't need a coat when you haven't been to Ferox before? Even you have a coat with you."

"She hexed herself," he answered simply. "It's the same reason why she didn't sweat while in Plegia." He kept his eyes on the road, unable to see what the other people's reaction was. He was pretty sure he was right. It was one of those things he'd noticed at one point while they traveled together but just put it at the back of his mind, thinking of it as unimportant.

"As expected of you, Master Robin," Tharja said. Robin felt a shill run down his spine-not from her words, but from the touch she gave him on his back. "You do have a higher affinity to detect magic than others. I'm surprised you even noticed."

"Wait, but why would you put a curse on yourself?" asked Lissa.

"Not all hexes are bad, princess. For instance, the one I used on myself allows my body to keep a certain temperature at all times. I don't wear more clothes than I do because then I would overheat. With the hex in place, I don't ever feel overly cold nor hot as long as I wear this outfit."

It was good to hear Tharja's answer. It meant that there was a chance she wouldn't be relying on Robin the whole time. The possibilities of friendship were opening for her. That was good.

"Oooh! That's pretty amazing! Does that mean you have a hex like that too, Robin?"

Robin shook his head. "I've never been too much of a hex man. I was never good at them. If you consider the mind link that I did with you when we first met as a hex, then that's about as far as my abilities with them goes."

"What is this "mind link" you speak of?" Viroin asked curiously.

"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."

"Are you perhaps thinking there will be fighting along the way?" asked Virion.

"You were there the day the Risen showed up, no?" Robin asked the archer, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "I talked to Chrom yesterday after the introductions were done with. There have been reports all over the place of what can only be described as living-dead attacking people. It's only been a short time since we encountered them ourselves. It's a bad sign of things to come."

"So that's why we are going to Regna Ferox then…" Lissa added.

"Aye," confirmed Robin. "You already know, but I was surprised to find out that Ylissean army had been disbanded. The Shepherds can only do so much. Emmeryn asked Chrom to ask the Kahns for her with troops in exchange for grain. Ferox lacks farmland. As such, most men and women take up weapons and mercenary work to try and make a living. They have more warriors that they can handle. It'll be a fair exchange, if you ask me."

The conversation stopped when Robin noticed that those in front weren't moving forward anymore. Chrom rushed over to the wagon, jumping off the horse just as he got to them. "Robin!" the prince called out. "There's Risen ahead. We can't let them just roam around. We'll need to take them out.

From the back of the wagon came an excited Vaike. The man was even grinning, obviously excited about the prospect of fighting. "This is what I signed up for," Vaike said. "The Vaike will show you all how it's done!"

"Vaike, where's your axe?" Lissa called out. Robin hadn't noticed it, but the tanned man didn't have it with him, which was strange because when he got on the cart he certainly had it by his side.

"What are you talking about, squirt?" Vaike asked, oblivious to his lack of a weapon. "I have it right…" As expected, the man found nothing at his side.

"Did you leave it back there?" Robin asked. Vaike didn't answer. What did the man have against the tactician anyways? Was it a similar situation as Sully? Robin Frowned at the lack of a response.

"There isn't such a thing there," Virion said as he approached them from the back, being followed by Lissa and Tharja. It was good to see that those three were ready for combat. "We took a quick look before coming down."

"Damn it…" Vaike muttered under his breath.

"You will just have to stay at the rear for this one," Chrom told his friend. "I know how strong you are even without your axe, but you won't be of any use to us if you get injured right here." He then turned his attention to Robin. "We should gather the rest of us and come up with a plan of attack. The enemy will be upon us very soon."

Robin nodded and got off the cart. He took hold of his tome that had been laying next to the post he was sitting on. "Let us group up then. I still need to link with Virion and Sully. And, seeing as she doesn't trust me, I'll need someone to pair up with her for this fight." The group moved forward to meet up with Frederick and Sully, who were still at the front watching the enemy approach.

"Okay Robin, give us a break down of the situation," Chrom ordered.

Robin nodded and closed his eyes. With the use of Eagle Eyes he was able to take a look at the whole area. He grimaced at the sight. The terrain was flat, but not completely open. The road was flanked by trees, which would make it difficult for both Frederick and Sully to move around. A bridge was further up north, which would funnel their advance.

"Since Sumia and Vaike will both stay behind, we are facing bad odds," Robin stated. "There are seven of us and twenty-three of them. However, we have the advantage on troop variety. The enemy force consists of foot-soldiers only, mostly axemen. There are a some swordsmen and even less lancers."

"How the hell can ya know all that?" asked Sully with more than a little skepticism.

"I'm a black mage," Robin answered. He knew it was better to keep it simple. "I have my ways." He heard Lissa giggle a bit. "For now, let me show you another one of those ways. I have to cast a spell on you and Virion."

"Like hell ya will!"

Robin sighed in frustration. They didn't have time for this bickering. "Fine then," he spat out a little more hostile than he would've wanted. "Chrom, pair up with her. You two will fight together."

Robin spent the next ten minutes giving out orders and assigning targets for everyone. He also linked up with Virion, who was looked amazed after Robin talked to him using only his mind. The glow from reactivating the links with the others also made it's appearance. The only other pair for this fight would be Lissa and Frederick. With only one healer, she would need to move around quickly, hence, Frederick would carry her.

And so it was that the battle begun. Robin knew that the Shepherds were lucky that about half the Risen hadn't crossed the bridge the moment the battle started. Sully and Chrom took the west side of the woods. Frederick, Lissa, and Tharja would stay on the main road. It was important to keep control of the road, as if one side or the other was being overwhelmed reinforcements would be able to cross without putting themselves in too much harm. As for the east side, that was being covered by Virion and Robin himself.

Another advantage to having people paired up was that he could focus more on each group as well as his own combat. He would relay orders to the others and just let them decide how to split the tasks. And most importantly, above all else, he could focus on taking out some of the dastard Risen.

" _There's one on our left, Virion,_ " Robin told his partner for the fight. " _Think you can take it out? I'll take the two that are further north._ "

" _It'll be my pleasure,_ " Virion responded. " _Now, let me show you why they call me the archerest of archers!_ "

Robin didn't really care, as long as he could get the job done. He ignored Virion's comment, deciding to push further ahead. A lancer took notice and rushed towards the tactician. Things went as Robin had predicted. Now within range, he was able to use his Flux spell on the Risen. It fell to the ground, just like the ones he'd faced against the day before. He switched his attention over to the rushing swordsman. The Risen was a lot closer than he was prepared for, which forced him to jump back, just barely avoiding the attack. Robin countered with something a little stronger than Flux.

While his movements were the same, the tome opened to a different page. Runes appeared all around the enemy swordsman. Had it been a living man, it would've been scared. Just one more thing that worked in Robin's favor, as the Risen didn't even try to avoid the attack. Suddenly, a purple X formed across the Risen. The attack hit with so much force that it cut the target into four pieces. A gruesome scene had the creature not just transformed into purple goo and then vaporized.

 _That was close_ , Robin thought, wiping some sweat from his brow and sighing in relief. Suddenly, he found himself lose all balance. Something had struck his leg. He looked down to see the first Risen he attacked was still there, with its spear now piercing through Robin's calf. This forced Robin to hit the ground. The Risen stood up and brought the spear out of Robin's leg with him. He cried out a little in pain, but forced himself to keep focused by clenching his teeth. Standing up wouldn't do. His weapon had fallen from his hand and he couldn't reach it. The only thing left was…

A sword! He grabbed the hilt and prepared himself for the incoming attack. The sound of metal hitting metal rang in his ears. He wouldn't be able to hold for much longer, not on that position. " _Virion_ " He called out. " _A little help here!_ "

The sound of an arrow hitting it's target had never sounded sweeter to Robin. He could see the shaft coming out of the Risen's neck. With no more life left within it, the figure transformed into the purple goo. "SHIT!" Robin was just fast enough to roll out of the way before the goo got to him. Whatever that was, it couldn't be good for his health. He picked up his tome and then himself up, wincing at the pain on his leg.

Viroin came running and helped him stay standing, bearing a little of the tactician's weight. "The shot was magnificent, wasn't it?" Virion asked with a smug grin. Robin wouldn't be able to say otherwise. That shot saved his life. He chuckled, despite the pain on his leg.

"Very nice shot, indeed," he told the archer. "I'm telling everyone to head back to the main road. We are ready to cross it."

"But what of your leg?" Virion asked.

"Don't concern yourself over nothing," Robin told him. "Lissa can heal it. From what I've been hearing from the others, she might have to heal Sully and Chrom too. As I thought, the woods aren't working in our favor."

"Perhaps we should regroup before moving forward."

"Agreed. I've told the rest to do as much." Robin pointed with the sword he was still holding in the direction of the road and the bridge. "I noticed two small structures close to the bridge further ahead. We're meeting up there."

Viroin and Robin were the last to enter the carcass of what looked like an old, abandoned house. Lissa was just finishing up with Chrom when they came in. All eyes were on them. Robin waved his sword, which to that point he'd been using for a little extra support. "Good, everyone's here," Robin said. But he stopped himself from saying anything else when he eyed Vaike and a couple of other new faces. "More Shepherds?" Robin asked Chrom.

"Yeah, they just caught up," Chrom said. "The guy in green is Stahl. Like Sully, he is a mounted knight. The girl with the glasses is Miriel. She is a very talented mage. They both should make the rest of the fight easier." Robin nodded and asked Virion to set him down. "You took some damage too, huh?"

"A spear to the calf, yes," Robin answered followed by a light chuckle trying to make it look like it was a smaller deal than it was. "This woods make it hard to keep track of everyone while fighting with magic."

"I'll help you," Lissa said. She moved quickly from Chrom to him. She held her staff towards Robin's leg. The staff emitted a soft blue-white glow that eased the pain. Healing magic. It was useful in a lot of ways, but one had to be careful with a recently treated wound, since the new skin formed could tear easily if one was not careful.

"Sorry to have you do all this, Lissa," Robin said. "Things got a little more complicated than I expected. But at least I wasn't the only one. Chrom, Sully, and even Frederick got injuries of their own, no?"

"How would ya even know about that?" asked Sully defensively.

"I've been talking with Chrom, Frederick, and Tharja all along." The healing process was done. She stood up and helped Robin to his feet. "You would know what I'm talking about if you'd let me create the link with you too."

"Tsk."

"What's with the sword?" Lissa asked only now noticing the weapon Robin had been hauling with him.

"Oh, yeah. I just picked it up from one of the Risen we fought. Came in handy too. If it hadn't been for this and a well placed shot by Virion, I would have a few more holes in me." Robin eyed the sword. He wondered why this one hadn't vanished with the fallen user. All the equipment the others had on them transformed into goo when the Risen was killed… Just one more mystery.

"You know how to wield a blade, Sir Robin?" asked Frederick.

"I just have to keep the pointy end away from me, right?" The simplicity of the comment caused a few laughs. "I don't intend on using it to bring them down. I would need training for that. It's still useful for defense and in case something gets too close for comfort.

"Now that everyone is in a little better mood, we should remember that we're in the middle of a fight. We've cut their numbers by half. That leaves eleven to go, including the big guy at the very back of the pack that is surely the commander."

Like he'd done before, Robin closed his eyes and took a look at what awaited for them on the other side of the bridge. "Okay, listen up. We need to take care of all of them quick. From what I've seen so far, they don't care much for each other. It's as if all they want is to kill. This gives us an advantage. We're all pairing up for this next part…"

The was ready to be set in motion. The groups this time had changed. Lissa and Vaike, Sully and Virion, Tharja and Miriel, Frederick and Chrom, and Robin and Stahl. They all went into position. Robin gave the order for them to move out. All at once, the ten Shepherds rushed the bridge.

The strategy was simple. The first two enemies they encountered were just at the other side of the bridge. Frederick hit one of them while Stahl cut down the other. That allowed the rest of the Shepherds to pass through. Next, Tharja and Miriel took down the other two Risen that were closest to the bridge, which in turned cleared the way for the rest of their team to move west (Sully and Virion) and east (Vaike and Lissa.) That would take care of the Risen that were on the small elevated ground the was on either side of the road. A pincer maneuver. It would also prevent any of the enemies that were still on the road to escape, forcing them to walk the road towards the bridge.

Robin was riding with Stahl, who threw his spear forward. It hit one of the Risen, but it wasn't dead yet. Robin used a Flux spell once more to finish off the vile thing. On the other side of their conflict, Chrom had dismounted from the back of Frederick's horse and landed a few hits on his adversary. The fight didn't last long. It ended with Chrom's sword going through the Risen's chest. If the teams taking care of the hills did a good job, that would only leave the big rissen axeman to take care of.

"Grab your spear and lets get the last one," Robin told Stahl, who nodded in return.

The knight grabbed a hold on his spear and had his horse at full gallop in the next second. He was preparing for a hit, closing the distance fast. This is when Robin decided it was best to strike. Keeping himself balanced, sword in one hand and his tome at the end of his fully extended arm, he called forward the same spell he'd used before, Ruin. It hit the target hard, bringing it down to it's knees, but, as he'd thought, this one was a lot stronger. Stahl hit the Risen with his spear, piercing it right through the heart. Even then the thing didn't go down.

"That's one tough cookie," Stahl said.

"Take us around one more time," Robin ordered. "I'll finish it off."

As ordered, Stahl turned his horse around and galloped again towards the half dead-undead. This time, Robin used a simple Flux spell. It did the trick. With the creature on the floor like that, the effect of the shadow tendrils was even more devastating than usual. Once more, Robin was glad that the gore from a living enemy wasn't there. It was all goo.

The fight was done. They'd won with no casualties on their side and only very minor injuries that Lissa took care of quickly. Chrom decided that with the sun already close to setting and everyone tired, it was better to make camp not too far from the bridge they'd just crossed. The tents were set up by everyone and Vaike had started a fire. They had supplies on the wagon that they'd packed, and Sumia decided that she would cook everyone dinner. "I didn't fight, so this is the least I can do for all of you," she said.

Most everyone were talking or taking advantage for the little light still in the sky to get stuff done. Robin was just looking as Sumia prepared the meal. He was curious as to how different Ylissean cuisine was from Plegian. He'd offered to help Sumia, but she had everything under control. She was preparing some sort of stew or soup over at the campfire.

"That smell really good," Robin said as he peaked at the contents of the cauldron. "It looks even better than it smells." He shot her a small smile.

"T-thank you, Robin," Sumia said. A faint tint of red appeared on her cheeks. "You guys worked so hard, so I really want to make it up to you guys. I've always had a thing for cooking. It just comes easier to me than fighting." She let out a sigh.

"I don't doubt your cooking is great, but for battle, it is as Chrom said to you yesterday. Training will only get you so far. Until you are faced with a life threatening situation, you won't be able to reach your full potential."

"I'll have to think about joining the next fight," she said. "I don't want to fall behind all of you. You can use a sword _and_ magic. I so jealous."

Robin chuckled for a bit. "Well, you know how to ride a pegasus. That's something I can only dream of doing. It's not something that many can say they are able to do. Anyone can swing around a sword. Hell, that's what I do. Not everyone is able to establish a connection with a pegasus or a wyvern well enough that they can go into combat together."

The conversation ended there, but small talk ensued. Robin learned a few things about Sumia, like how she came along the pegasus in the first place and how she was an avid reader of romance novels, something Robin had no experience with. She ended up promising to lend him the one she'd brought with her once she was done with it.

Dinner was just about done when Robin noticed that they didn't have anything to drink. The river wasn't far away. He would walk back with a bucket. He went to the wagon to grab it when he met Lissa. She decided to join him in the little quest for water. It wasn't a bad idea. It was already dark. Having company would be best. He agreed to let her accompany him and they set off.

At the river, Robin had just filled the bucket with water when Lissa decided to put a couple of frogs down his coat. The surprise from feeling the amphibians trying to escape his coat made him trip and fall into the river. Fortunately for him, it was shallow enough that the water didn't drag him downstream. Unfortunately, his clothes were soaked.

The rest of the group were waiting for them to return. They all turned to look at him, soaked, walking with a bucket of water, and Lissa, who was laughing her little butt off. The sight did cause a few to laugh. Tharja looked more annoyed than anything. Miriel was more analytical, pointing out that if he didn't disrobe, he would catch a cold. He ended up handing his robe and coat off the side of the wagon.

"Good thing we still aren't that close to Ferox," Robin said as he took a seat on the ground, close to the fire. "I would freeze to death. These are the only clothes I have." He shot a stare at Lissa.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," she said.

"If you really were you wouldn't be laughing still…"

She really burst out laughing then. "But! BUT! Your face! It did this rubbery thing that was so funny!"

Robin could feel his blood boiling. "I'm not even going to ask what you are talking about. At this point, I don't care anymore. I just want these clothes to dry up and warm up a little." Sumia offered him a bowl of the warm stew. "Ah, Sumia, you are my savior." He gladly accepted the bowl and spoon and digged in.

Things turned more pleasant as everyone started having their share of the stew. Even Tharja was talking, one sidedly, admittedly, but talking, with the new arrival Miriel. The redhead kept inquiring about different aspects in relation to Tharja's hexing. Complicated stuff, something that Robin didn't care much about.

He found himself talking with Stahl. They discussed the Risen, the Shepherds' combat style before Robin joined them, and the green knight even gave the tactician some pointers for sword fighting. Somehow, it had been decided that from that point onward Robin would be training with both Chrom and Frederick to hone his swords skills _and_ also train with Miriel and Tharja to make sure his magic didn't go rusty. There was one thing he knew for sure. This new life would keep him exhausted.

* * *

Okay, I know what some of you might be thinking. "Esid! What the hell? Sumia isn't an official Pegasus Knight from the start and she gets her pegasus after Chapter 2 in the game!" Yes, you are right. Before, during, and after I finish writing, I watch videos of the cutscenes that happen in the game to refresh my memory. The thing is, I decided to just give her the pegasus already because it is a scene that we all already know about. Instead, I brought stuff in that either is overlooked on the game or I thought it would be good to mention at some point.

Next point. This time I didn't go into too much detail for combat for a couple of reasons. One being that since this is Robin's perspective, even with his ability, he wouldn't be able to know exactly how the others were doing unless he used Eagle Eyes to see, but then trees would block most of the action. The other main reason was that if I did write out exactly what everyone did, this chapter would end up being massive. In any case, you know how it goes. Everyone goes badass and kick Risen butt! Just imagine how the battle goes for everyone else. That being said, if you do want me to write about combat in detail/full then let me know.

Now to a little trivia! You must've already noticed that I changed the way that Robin casts his spells. There isn't too much of a reason behind it, really. When I was writing down the battle scene for Ch2, I remembered how the summoner in FFXIV attacks. Always thought he looked pretty cool, so I went with that. Also, it ended helping in the long run. Now Robin can keep his tome at hand and his sword too like he does in Smash.

Also, for those interested, I based Robin's clothes on his character sheet that can be found online. In none of the stories I've read so far has anyone mentioned anything about the small yellow coat. The belt is ignored by a lot of people too, even if that is in plain view, but meh.

Last thing! Last chapter I asked about Lissa's and Maribelle's favorite tea. **Tumberboy12** got it right again! The answer is anything that has citrus for Lissa and Maribelle says that her's is Lissa's favorite (although she did joke that it was "black tea infused with the still-warm blood of and adult male grizzly bear.")


	6. And so she promised

Chapter 6: And so she promised

"I can see the wall already," Robin told wagon riders. "Finally. I'm already dreading this snow."

It had taken them three days to get there after they crossed the bridge. The Shepherds hadn't been attacked by any more Risen. They hadn't even seen a single one since that encounter days ago. However, as they traveled along the road, they did spot some villagers. Every time, Chrom would force them to stop so that he could talk with the travelers. They all said the same thing. Risen were seen here, Risen were there, and so on. All Robin could think about was that he was happy they were so near to Ferox. If Chrom could convince the Khans to send aid to Ylisse, those villagers wouldn't have to suffer for much longer.

"I'm g-g-gl-glad," Lissa struggled to say. The cold was being harsh on her. "I'm f-f-free-freezing!"

"You should cover yourself with the blankets," Robin suggested, his breath forming a small mist in front of him. "Or stick close to Tharja and Miriel. Sharing body heat will keep you warm. I would lend you my robe, but I kinda need it right now." Although he felt sorry for the blonde, there was no way he would let her have his robe. Virion, Vaike, Miriel, Tharja, and Lissa were all warmer than him after Miriel had told them to close the back of the canopy to keep some warmth inside. Robin, being the driver, still had to deal with the blowing wind and snow. He thought that even Chrom, Sully, Stahl, and Frederick had it better than him. They were sharing their heat with those horses. Robin sighed. "We can't get to the wall soon enough," he muttered under his breath. "How are the rest of you holding up back there?"

Tharja, Lissa, and I have done what you suggested, Robin," Miriel answered. "Your hypothesis was valid. I've seen a significant rise in my temperature. But more interestingly, I find it fascinating that Tharja hasn't fallen ill, despite her lack of a better attire."

 _I'm having deja'vu_ , Robin thought. "What about the rest of you?"

"I'm doing as one would imagine," Viroin said.

"So you are freezing then?"

"Oh, no, on the contrary, my good man. Seeing the act of sisterhood among those tree has lit a fire in my heart that would keep me warm through the coldest of winters!"

From the short time they'd traveled together, Robin already had a very clear picture of what would come out of Virion's mouth every time there were women around. When just around men, he was a lot more composed.

Miriel, on the other hand, was still new to Virion. "Are you saying that you can increase your body temperature-your heart specifically-by just looking at three women huddled together?"

"It sounds really perverted when you say it like that," Robin said, feeling a cold sweat going down the back of his neck. He made a note to himself that Miriel was always after new knowledge. The day they'd met, she spent the whole time shooting questions at Tharja. The day after, she did the same thing to him. She was a good person, he could tell, but it was mentally exhausting to constantly have to come up with answers for her for things that had become second-nature to him.

"Am I incorrect in my assessment?" Miriel asked.

"If you meant it like it sounded like, probably not…"

Virion coughed into his fist, demanding attention. "If I may, Robin, let me explain this," he said.

"Oh, okay… Go ahead."

"I thank you." Robin could imagine Virion giving a small bow. With his hood up, he couldn't see anything that was going on in the back. For that, he was glad. "What I meant, lady Miriel, was that such a beautiful sight made my heart flutter. When one is enamored or just happy, you can feel a warm sensation spreading from your chest."

Miriel thought about Virion's words. "I see, so then-"

"Leave it, Miriel," Lissa cut in. "Just ignore what he says." Robin chuckled. Virion didn't sound as delighted as Robin had from hearing that.

Robin stopped the horse when he approached the mounted men. "This is the fortress?" Robin asked Chrom. "Why are the gates down? I thought word had been sent to Ferox before we left."

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Chrom. He dismounted his horse. "I will go take a look. Maybe I can talk to whoever is in charge and convince them to let us through."

Robin stepped down from the wagon seat and stretched his legs. They'd been riding all day. This was the first stop they'd made. He suddenly was happy that the gate was down. Gods knew how much longer they would have to ride to meet the Khans.

"This is a very impressive wall," Robin said as he approached Frederick and Stahl. He made sure to be as far away from Sully as he could, since she still didn't like him much. "I've never seen anything like it."

"This is one of the the biggest structures ever built by the khans," Frederick explained. "It expands throughout the border. It goes from west all the way to the east. The khans have always been wary of foreigners. It's because of this wall that we never have problem with bandits crossing the northern border of-"

"We have trouble," Chrom said. He'd rushed back to regroup with the rest.

"What's the problem?" Stahl asked.

"They think we are impostors! Raimi, the woman in charge, says that the only way she will accept us as being who I said we were, we would have to go against her and her garrison and come out victorious…"

"That's preposterous!" Frederick said. "We are here to ask for aid! What would we do if word got to the khans about us killing the garrison of this castle?"

"No, this is the best way," Robin said after giving it some thought. "The Feroxi are known to be fierce combatants. We can show our worth to them by defeating one of their own in combat."

"That doesn't change the fact that we can't just march in and kill them, though," Stahl pointed out.

"We'll have to go for non-lethal tactics then," Chrom said. "We'll disarm the enemies or knock them unconcious. By no means any of them should be killed, understood?" The other three nodded in unison. "Robin, gather the rest and come up with a plan. And do it quick! They are mobilizing their sentries."

Robin was moving back to the wagon when he heard someone shout "look out!" He turned around to see what was going on. It was as if time slowed down. Lances had been thrown at Chrom! He was turning around, but there was no way he would be able to move out of the way in time. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the prince was pulled away. Sumia had come to his rescue just in the nick of time. She flew her pegasus around, barely dodging a volley of arrows that were shot at her from atop the wall.

"Everyone, pull back!" Robin shouted. Everyone followed the order, even Sully and Vaike. They moved out of range from the lances and the archers were now just waiting for them to get closer, hoping for an easy hit. The Shepherds, now out of range, had enough time to strategize. Sumia came back with Chrom just then.

"Well done, Sumia!" Sully said. "I knew you had it in ya!"

"It was fast thinking," Chrom said. "I owe you one."

"It's was nothing," she said sheepishly before she gather herself. "It was my duty as a Shepherd. We can let our Captain go down when the mission is far from complete."

"Well said," Stahl said.

"As much as I would like to praise Sumia too, we need to talk strategy," Robin said, to which everyone agreed. "First, let me create a mind link with those that I have yet to do so." He started with Miriel, who was more than happy to obliged. Something told him that the next conversation he would have with her would be all about his use of dark magic to aid with tactics. Next was Stahl, followed by Sumia. The last two were Vaike and Sully, both of which hesitated a lot, but were inevitably forced to go through the process by Chrom.

"What's the plan then, Robin?" Chrom asked.

Robin had already taken a look at the battlefield. "It's not looking good. We are about even on numbers, but they have higher ground. With that many archers and lancers, we won't be able to get up that wall without taking more hits than I would like… " He rubbed his chin as he thought of possible ways they could get up there. "They have men around the stairs, preventing us from even getting close to them. If only we had someone well armored…"

"Um, what about me, Robin?" A mysterious voice came from the very back of the group. Robin and the rest turned in surprise to see who it was that had just spoken.

"Kellam!" Lissa said, overjoyed to see just the man they needed. "You decided to come with us after all!"

"But I've been with you guys all along!"

That was a shock to Robin. The man wore heavy plated steel armor and a heavy spear. There was no way he would've missed it. He did, however, detect something odd about the lancer.

" _Tharja, do you feel that?_ " Robin asked using his mind link so that only she would hear him. " _It's almost as if someone had cursed this man!_ "

" _Yes, I feel it too,_ " she called back. " _But I believe that such a strong magical presence can only be natural._ "

Robin shook his head. " _Are you telling me this man can become invisible just like that in his own accord?_ "

" _I believe so, yes._ "

" _He would make for a good assassin…_ "

While the black mages discussed the circumstances surrounding Kellam, the rest of the group were still talking about never having seen him during the whole trip.

"This will work," Robin finally said. "Listen carefully, this is the plan. First we will all rush the western stairs. This will force the enemy commander to move her forces atop the wall in that direction. Kellam and Vaike, you will head this strike together. Lissa, you'll need to follow behind them closely, in case one of them gets injured. Tharja and Virion will be protecting you this time as well as taking care of any stragglers left behind by Vaike and Kellam."

"Once we have their attention focused on the west, Stahl, Sully, and Frederick will turn back and rush the eastern stairs. It will be underprotected. Overwhelming it should be easy for you three.

"Next, Sumia, I want you to fly Chrom directly towards the enemy commander when you see our cavalry reach the stairs. They will think you are just a decoy, but this move is very important for our victory."

"Wait," Sumia interrupted. "What about the archers on top of the wall? Pegasi are very vulnerable to arrows and wind magic. We won't be able to get anywhere near!"

"That's where Miriel and I come in. Miriel, you will have to cast wind spells that prevent the arrows from reaching you two. Meanwhile, I'll take out the archers as we make our way closer to the wall and up the staircase behind Kellam and Vaike. We will be able to create an opening big enough for Sumia to land her pegasus on top the wall. This way, we will be attacking the wall from three sides. Lastly, Chrom should be the only one attacking the enemy commander. She doesn't believe that he is the prince of Ylisse, so he has to _show_ her who he is in combat."

The plan was set. Everyone was in their position. " _Remember_ ," Robin said using the mind link to all the Shepherds. " _Use don't want to kill any of the enemies. Knock them out or force them to yield. Now then, on your command, Chrom._ "

Everyone sprung into action when Chrom yelled, "Now!" All the Shepherds, as per Robin's instructions, rushed towards the enemies that were guarding the western stairs. These men were taken by surprise, but held their own against the combined force of Vaike and Kellam. Miriel, Tharja, Robin, and Virion offered support to the front liners, hitting any enemies that were trying to flank them.

As he had predicted, the enemy commander ordered her men to move in the direction of the attack. That left the east front underargded. This was something that the Risen would never do. Preventing losses and changing strategies. The Ferozi also presented a good challenge. Their combat style was more complex than those of bandits, which made it very difficult to advance, but the Shepherds were getting closer to the stairs none the less. That's when Robin signalled for the second part of the plan to commence.

Their cavalry turned around and headed directly east along the wall. With the speed of their horses, they would get to the other staircase before more troops could get a chance to be redirected.

At the same time, Sumia took Chrom up in the sky. The enemy archers immediately ceased their attack on the ground troops to concentrate shooting down the pegasus. Robin and Miriel took action, using their combined spells to prevent any arrows from getting too close to Sumia while also knocking out some of the archers.

" _Don't get too close just yet, Sumia,_ " the strategist told the flying pair. " _Wait until we take both the east and the west before landing._ "

The rest of the people that had remained at the west had already reached the stairs. They were narrow, forcing Kellam to take point, followed by Vaike and Lissa, then Virion and Tharja providing support. Lissa was doing a good job of keeping up with everyone all the while healing any injuries any of them suffered.

 _Combat would be so much easier if we didn't have to make sure to keep all these guys alive_ , thought Robin. He casted another Flux spell at an archer, breaking the bow. It was just one more challenge for him as a strategist and everyone fighting.

Robin and his group reached the top of the stairs at the same time Frederick, Sully, and Stahl took control of the easter stairs. Chrom took this as his opening. He jumped off the pegasus as soon as Sumia brought them down on top of the wall. The enemy commander blocked his blade with her spear. All the Shepherds and the remaining Feroxi soldiers were engaged in fierce combat.

The sound of axes, spear, and swords swinging and clashing, arrows flying, and magic being casted filled the air. One by one, the Feroxi were being taken down or yielded when forced into a corner. Their leader kept on fighting against Chrom until the very end. She was forced to surrender when one of Chrom's swings broke her spear in two. The battle was won.

"You fought well," the woman, Raimi, said. She was trying to catch her breath. No doubt, the battle with Chrom had been difficult for her with all the extra weight from her armor. "I have no doubt now that you are who you claim to be. Forgive me, milord. We've been having problem with brigands crossing the wall, claiming to be Yliseans that have business in Regna Ferox."

"That explains the hospitality," Robin said sarcastically. Raimi flinched.

"Peace, Robin," Chrom said, raising his hand. "She was doing her duty, just like we are. Had I been in her place, I would have done the same thing."

"The las is not wrong… If what you say say about sending a message before hand is true, then that means that things in the capital are about to begin." Raimi looked a lot more relaxed as she tried to put two and two together.

"What do you mean?" Frederick asked, now dismounted and without weapon on hand. "Is there some sort of event going on in Regna Ferox at the moment?"

"Aye. You couldn't have come at a worse time. In a few days time, the khan from the east and the khan from the west will be battling to see who becomes reigning khan."

"Wait, there are two khans?" Vaike questioned, confused about the idea.

"Regna Ferox is a militaristic nation that looks after the strong," Miriel said as she adjusted her glasses. "With so many warriors, the nation is split between east and west, with a khan leading each side. Every few years, there is a tournament to decide who the ruling khan will be. The ruling khan is the one that has diplomatic power over the nation."

"Aye, it's as she says," Raimi confirmed. "You lot should head to Arena Ferox if you want to speak with the khans. Although, given the situation, I'm not sure if either of them will feel like talking politics…"

Chrom looked thoughtful, as if weighing the options. "We will have to head to Arena Ferox then," he decided. "We will seek audience with a khan and work from there."

"If that's the case, then allow me to escort you there! It's the least I can do given that you spared my men from death."

"Alright, lead the way."

Just after having lunch, the party set off towards Arena Ferox. As they traveled, Robin spotted a great deal of other travelers heading in the same general direction Raimia was taking them. Raimi explained that they were all going to the tournament. "This is the most important we have here," she said. "Khan Basilio has been ruling for a long time. That's not to say that Khan Flavia isn't up to par. Every time those two go at it it draws in tens of thousands of people from all across the land to see."

"Tens of thousands?!" Robin let out. "How big is this arena?"

"Ha ha!" Raimi laughed loudly. "What did you expect? Everyone in Regna Ferox fights. It should be that surprising to hear that we would have an arena to host up to fifty thousand people."

The idea of having such a big entertainment building… There was no doubt that despite what they themselves said, the Feroxi had architects and builders that were just as good as their fighters to have such monumental structures like the wall and this arena Raimi spoke of.

"If this tournament thing is such a big deal, won't the khans be too busy to speak to us?" Lissa chimed in, popping her head through the flaps of the canopy on the wagon. She made a fair point. If Robin was on the shoes of one of the khans, if would be focused on the fight ahead.

"Normally, it would be impossible to speak with one of them, yes. But that's why I'm coming with you. My word will get you through most of the way. It'll be up to the khans to decide to grant an audience or not."

Lissa frowned at hearing that. "I really hope they do… We came all this way. We had to fight both Risen and you guys." She let out a sigh just from thinking about having to go back. "I don't want to disappoint Emm. I think Chrom really wants to make things easy for her too. All our hopes are on this deal going through."

"Lets concentrate on getting to the arena for now," Robin said. "One step at a time."

One day later, around noon, Raimi finally pointed towards Arena Ferox. Everyone stared at the building in awe. A colossal amphitheater of sorts stood before them. Arches spread across the outside wall, bringing in lighting to the inner corridors. In the middle of some of those arches stood statues. At first Robin thought they were all identical, but as they got closer he noticed that they were all in fact unique. Raimi told him that they represented different people that had fought at the arena before and had come victorious.

"Most impressive," Chrom said once they'd reached the arena. He was looking up at the outer wall that kep going up and up in the sky.

"Follow me through," said Raimi.

They left the horses and the wagon at a stable near the arena and headed inside. The inside of the building was just as impressive as the outside. Vaulted ceilings, detailed art depicting battles on the walls, and interestingly designed columns. These were all things that Robin was taking notice of. Even with the amount of people already roaming around the hallways, there was enough space for the all the Shepherds to walk comfortably. Some of the Feroxi would give them strange looks, but those went ignored.

Finally, Raimi reached an open room that looked like a throne room. Raimi turned to them. "Prince Chrom, please wait here while I summon the khan," she told Chrom, who agreed. Raimi took a small bow before leaving the area.

She returned a few minutes later, walking behind a woman of tan skin and blonde hair. The woman, presumably the khan, was clad in armor. A jointed shield was strapped to her left arm. On her right hand she carried a sword. "Captain Raimi has explained the situation to me," the woman spoke. "I am the East-Khan. My name is Flavia. I apologize for the misunderstanding regarding your border crossing, Prince Chrom. I would welcome you with more than words to Regna Ferox, but as you may already know, I'm preparing for the tournament of khans."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Khan Flava," Chrom said. "You don't have to worry about the incident. As you say, it was but a misunderstanding."

"That's good," she said, giving a small smile and a nod towards the prince. "I've received word from your Exalt, asking for request against this new threat. _Risen_ , she calls them. In the letter she mentioned you have fought against them recently, correct?"

"Yes. We had a second encountered on our way here, on Ylisse. We have reports of more of them showing up all around Ylisse. As I understand, you are having trouble of your own with people claiming to be Ylisseans crossing the border."

"Plegian dogs. We found documents on a few of their captains once we killed them that prove it."

Robin flinched. _No one is our friend on this side of the world_ , he thought.

"The Mad King must take us for fools. Using tricks like that to instigate a war. A craven's move, I say."

"Damn him!" Chrome said, only catching his words after they'd already been said. "Oh, forgive me, your grace."

Flavia just laughed. "You speak like a Feroxi, prince Chrom. Damn him indeed. Going back to the reason you are here..."

"Oh, yes! We were hoping that you could lend us some troops to safeguard our villagers. In exchange, we would provide gain or gold, whichever you find better."

"Fine deal, except that at the moment I can't provide you with any troops."

"Only the ruling khan can make a deal with another nation," Robin reminded Chrom.

Flavia nodded. "Correct. It's good to see an outsider that knows of our traditions."

"I've only just learned this recently through Raimi, Khan Flavia."

"That's good enough for me! Now, while I can't offer troops right now, that doesn't mean I won't be able to do it if I win the tournament. Would you be interested in helping, prince Chrom."

Chrom steeled himself, showing as much confidence as he could. "Of course!"

"Very well. Then you will fight as my champion."

"Fight as your champion?"

Miriel took this as a sign to inform her prince about how the tournament worked. Each khan selected a small group of champions to represent them in battle. The winning side would win the authority for their khan. No champion on either group could be blood related to either khan, as it would created bad blood between them.

"She speaks the truth," Flavia confirmed. "If you help me win the sovereignty of Regna Ferox, then I will have the final say when it comes to forging alliances. Do this for me and you'll have our support against these Risen you speak of."

Chrom looked at the others present. He turned again to look at Flava. "You have a deal, but under what condition."

"Oh?"

"You mentioned you need a small group of champions, no? Then let me fill the other spots with members of my Shepherds. We fight well together. I can guarantee you a win."

"I like your confidence," Flavia said, grinning at Chrom. "Very well. You must decide on your team of five quickly. I'll need the names to present them before the battle starts. You will only have three hours to get ready. Use them well."

* * *

And so more jokes about Kellam show up! Who got the first Kellam reference I made a few chapters back? It was pretty in your face if you ask me, but then again, I wrote the story.

I kept the fight for this chapter focused more on the strategy rather than on the actions of each individual. I find this specific fight to be the most boring one in the game. Tried to keep it interesting, though. The next chapter's fight will be a lot more about the action. It's one of the biggest events in the game in a way, so I will focus heavily on that. One way or another, I know the next chapter will be interesting. I've been thinking about it for a long while now. Look forward to that one!

Like always, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review, follow the story, and/or favorite it if you like it.

See you on the next chapter!


	7. And so she searched

_Chapter 7: And so she searched_

People cheering, people drinking, people laughing. That's what was going on all around her. The mood inside the restaurant on the lower level of the inn was great. Sure, there were a few too many drunks, but at least they were happy drunks. Yet, she couldn't feel the same way. She sat at the bar, looking at the people around her. Some of the faces she'd come to recognize as regulars. They would always come as if it was second nature to them. They were not like her. They went to the bar to rest. She went there to gather more information.

"What's with the long face, lass?" The barman asked as he cleaned yet another glass behind the bar. He was nice. Many days she found herself talking to the man about whatever it was that was on her mind. She needed venting and he was a good listener. Perhaps it was something that came to him with age. "Didn't you just come back from a contract? Most people here would be celebrating."

A long sigh escaped her lips. She used her right hand to support her head from simply hitting the bar while she held on to her drink with the other. "I feel like I've lost so much time here," she confessed. "It's been, what? Four months? And I don't have anything to show for it except for some gold."

The man chuckled. "That's more than most people here can say. Having gold is good for you. More so if you get it from fighting. Even more so if you spend it on drinking."

"That's the Feroxi way, no?"

"You know it," he said. With a bottle in hand, he came closer to where she was sitting. He filled up her cup with some local mead and then filled up the cup he'd been cleaning for himself. "This one's on me. Drink. You look like you could use it."

She looked up at him for a second. A small smile formed at the corner of her lips. Straightening herself up, she motioned towards him to drink. The drink went down her throat easily. The alcohol in the drink would warm her up some, but she wouldn't let it cloud her mind. "You know I'm not from Regna Ferox," she reminded him, putting down the now half-empty cup on the bar. "I've searched around all through this country and found nothing about the man I'm looking for. I think it's about time I go look elsewhere."

"Aye, perhaps that would be for the best," the barman said. "If I were you, I would wait until after the big tourney at Arena Ferox."

This wasn't the first time she'd heard about the tournament. Everyone talked about it, wherever she went. Even at that moment, most of the other customers were talking about it. She hadn't paid it any attention until that point. Her curiosity got the best of her, so she asked, "Why is that?"

"Oh? You can't tell me you don't know anything about the tourney," he said, stupefied about the notion that someone wouldn't know what he was referring to. "'supposed it makes sense an outsider wouldn't know. The tournament of Khans, they call it. It only happens every few years. The khans from the east and west face off with their champions to see who becomes ruling khan. I've heard that old khan Basilio even got himself a new champion to lead his others! If he replaced that Lon'qu lad he had then things will be exciting."

She frowned a little. "You still haven't told me anything that would make me want to stay longer."

"Hold your horses, I was getting to that!" He coughed into his fist. "As I was sayin', this is an event that happens only once every few _years_ and takes place in Arena Ferox. You know how many people go to this thing?" She shook her head, not even trying once to guess. "Tens of thousands of people! They come from all over the place too. I heard a rumor that some lordy from the south came up here with his company to watch. That's how important of an event this is!"

 _A lord from the south?_ That caught her attention. If what he said was true, then this thing was the real deal. "Is that why there have been so many people around lately?"

"Aye, they all come to watch the tourney. What I'm getting at is, if you want to find that lad you speak of, this is your chance to do so! If he isn't there then you'll know for sure that he is nowhere in Ferox."

"You make a fair point…" He truly did. Perhaps this really was a big opportunity for her. Worst case scenario, she would confirm that she should leave Ferox. Best case scenario… She took another swig of her mead. "Okay then. How do you suppose I can get into the arena then? It doesn't sound like I can just walk in there and grab a seat. Besides, with so many people, sitting with the crow will make it impossible for me to look around."

"I didn't say you should go into the crowd." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Ha ha! No, I think you should fight!"

She rolled her eyes. "Easier said than done. You said it yourself. Only the champions fight. I doubt I can convince either khan to let me fight for them when my name isn't even known."

"You won't fight for a khan, no. There are other fights you can join. Before the champions face off, there are a number of fighters that go in first to show off their skills and get the crowd going. If the only fight that happened was the one of the champions, most people wouldn't bother to come."

"So I should sign up as a fighter then?"

"It's the easiest way to get in." He hesitated for a second before continuing, "well, I say easiest, but you're still gonna have to prove yourself to the people taking the applications. Think of it as an elimination process. They want only the best. And because you aren't well known around just yet, they'll want to test you first. If you go to the arena right now, you'll be able to make it in time. Applications close at sundown. The tourney is tomorrow."

"I should get going then," she said, standing up after finishing her drink. She took out a few coins from her pouch and tossed them at the barman, who snatched them off the air. "Thanks for the information." She turned around and started walking off. "And thanks for the drink too."

The weather outside was horrible. It was snowing and windy too. Her boots, gloves and coat kept her body warm, but her face could already feel the hit from the cold. The streets were as packed as she'd ever seen. Men, women, and children all walked around merrily, ignoring the cold that they grown accustomed to. She wondered how many of those people she was seeing would go to the arena the next day. Surely, some of them were just merchants trying to make a few coins by buying and selling their wares on an area that was brimming with people.

None of the face she looked at were that of the man she was looking for. Expecting it to be any different was stupid. The chances of such a chance encounter on the street were slim to none, she knew that. That didn't stop her from doing it. She still had hope that she would find him like that. How happy she would be... _But it has been too long_ , she thought. _What if he doesn't recognize me? What if he doesn't even remember me?_ Those thoughts haunted her. He'd left her with a promise of meeting up again, but then he vanished into thin air, never to be seen again.

She had to slap both her cheeks to pull herself together. There was no time to think about that now. She'd come that far with a certain goal in mind. She had to reach that goal. No other option was left for her.

The monumental arena stood before her. It was huge. From the outside, it did look like a place that could house tens of thousands of people at one time. She didn't have the time to admire the structure as she had to get herself a spot in a fight. She headed right in. Near the entrance, there was a man and a woman sitting on a table. A sign hung over them. "Fighter Registration Here" it said. She walked over to them and said she was interested in taking part in a fight.

Turns out, signing up was easy. According to the man, they didn't have enough fighters yet, meaning that she wouldn't have to go through any examination. All they told her, once the paperwork was done, was to show up the next morning before noon. She would be taking part on a melee with seven other fighters. It was a free-for-all. There was no other price but glory for the winner.

She left the building with happily. She'd done it! Now she would be able to be in the arena. She would have to fight (and make sure she won, of course,) but at least she was in. _I'll have to thank the bartender for the tip_ , she thought. That would be easy as she was heading back to the inn to rest for the day.

She woke up early the next morning, with plenty of time to get herself ready. She dressed herself in her clothes. Their warmth was very welcoming. Her swords were laid out on the bed. They were fine swords. They'd seen her through so much in the past. Once more, she would take them into battle. She took them both and secured them to her belt. With these, there was no way she would lose, even if that wasn't her main objective.

By the time she reached the arena, hundreds of people were lining up outside trying to get a seat. As a participant, she was able to get in through a different door. The two people she'd met the day before met her and assigned her to a room that had all the participants for her match.

They all were warming up. Some were stretching, others were swinging their weapons around, and there were others that were looking over their equipment. Every single one of them had the same look she did. They wanted to win. None of them talked-not to each other, not to themselves. To pass the time, she too would prepare herself both mentally and physically.

When the time finally came to make their way to the arena, she was calm. This wouldn't be her first time fighting in front of others. There was nothing that could distract her. They walked through an underground tunnel. It was pitch black except near both ends of it. The sound of cheering was traveling from the other air, slowly making her heartbeat race.

The outside of the arena was nothing compared to the center of it. A big, circular area covered in sand was going to be their battlefield. A tall wall prevented them from trying to leave the area. On top those walls was the audience. Thousands upon thousands of people looking down at them, waiting for the fight to begin. Her heart beat rose up even more, but her face was calm.

 _There are so many people_ … She thought. The faces of many were too far away for her to distinguish any features. Even if the idea had made sense when she first thought about it, she understood then that the task would only get her so far.

She was snapped back to reality when the man that had brought her and the others to the middle of the arena spoke. "For this match, we have eight fighters from different parts of the world," he said. "Please, when you hear you name, raise your weapon in the air."

One by one, the names were called. The last one was her own. She took out her sword from its wooden scabbard and raised it in the air after her name had been called. They all spread out to keep an equilateral distance from one another. She spied the weapons carried by her enemies. One spear, three swords, two axes, and one fire tome.

None of them dared to move until they were given the signal. They were ordered to begin the match. Some sprung into an attack, others readied themselves for incoming hits. She dashed forward towards the very center.

One of the axemen had the same idea. She met his axe with her sword. The man was strong, but she had the advantage with her weapon of choice. His gut met her foot, as she kicked him to create some distance. The man stumbled a few feet back before going on the offensive again. She easily parried the incoming attack. She turned her body with the weight of the axe, making for fluid movement that would take her behind him. Her long hair swirled with her, leaving a trail of where she'd been. Her sword cut into the man's leg. It wasn't a deep wound. He wore some sort of boiled leather boots that took most of the damage for him. She was ready to attack again when a fire ball came their way.

She was able to jump out of the way, but the axeman wasn't fast enough. He got hit and fell to the floor. Already, the number of fighters left had gone down by three. She'd forgotten that this was a melee and not a fight with only two sides.

One of the other swordsman came at her. This time, she went on the attack. She stopped his incoming sword and then swung against him. The mage was taking advantage of the situation. The woman was throwing fireballs at them both as fast as she could cast them.

The swordsman and her did their best to ignore the interference from the caster. Their swords clashed against one another multiple times. She could hear the screams from the crowd. They wanted one of them to go down. All she knew was that it wouldn't be her. She wouldn't let herself be beat like that.

Her mind went blank. Any distractions disappeared from her mind. She was focused on her opponents. The mage in the swordsman. _I need to take down that mage first_ , she thought. _But unless I can do it in one go, I won't make it._ She took a deep breath deciding on her course of action. Like before, she dashed forward, towards the swordsman. But before he could move, she jumped. She went up in the air high enough to jump up and over the man. That got her a few extra seconds she needed to deal with the female caster.

She closed the distance between them, moving out of the way of the fireballs as best she could. When she was close enough, she attacked. The mage's book was cut in half. There was no reason to go for a direct hit. Without a weapon, the mage had no option but to accept defeat.

Before she knew it, it was just her and the swordsman that she'd jumped over left. They fought for what felt like an eternity. Neither of them planned on losing. They swords clashed and clashed. Not a single drop of blood from their bodies had hit the floor. The fight was exhausting. She could feel some sweat drop forming on her forehead. The man was in the same condition, taking deep breaths. With one last push, she was able to slash the man's chest. He'd tried to defend himself, but his sword broke in half with her attack. She'd won.

Her mind was still blank when she was announced as the winner of the melee. Her eyes darted to the audience, taking the short time she had left down there to look through the faces.

After she left the combat area, she was waved over by one of the guards. As the winner of the melee, she was going to get the chance to sit near the khans, at the very front. It was a good chance for her to take a better look at the other fighters. Plus, it put her in a position where looking around at the crowd would be easy. She nodded at the guard, who walked her over to some stairs and finally to her seat.

Next to her were some of the other winners of the day. They exchanged simple greetings, but it was obvious they wanted to keep watching the fights. Many more fighters took to the stage. The fights were exciting, from the screams the crowd was putting out. She only looked at the new fighters when they came out. When she was sure none of them were _him_ , she would go back to looking through the crowds.

And so, one by one, the seats next to her were being filled by winners. Some of them suffered cuts, bruises, and/or fractures, but they _wanted_ to be there. They wanted the glory to sit there, unlike her.

After the last seat of winners had been taken, it was time for the main event. The khans themselves walked into the arena. Behind each one were five other people. Their champions. The crowd was going wild, only settling down when the beast of a man that was Basilio raised his hand. As he was still the ruling khan, everyone obeyed. The noise died down slowly.

"We've seen a great deal of good fights today," Basilio said. "Now it is time to see the best of the best go at it." The crowd roared. "We all know the rules. Ten champions go in, five for each khan. When all champions on one side are defeated the battle is won. Whose ever champion, or champions, still stand become ruling khan.

"Now we present our champions!" Basilio went on to call out each name of his champion. When their name was called, they would raise their weapon in the air to let the crowd know who the name belonged to. He had a strong looking bunch. From all of them, the front man, a slim man wearing a mask, stood out the most.

The words of the barman she'd talked to the day before came back to her. Something about a new champion having defeated the last one in single-combat.

Khan Flavia's turn came. The first name she called out was Vaike. A blonde man with tan skin, much like the khan's, raised a battle axe in the air. The man wore little armor, but had enough muscle on his to make him look though.

The second name was Stahl. A man clad in green armor sitting atop a horse rose his spear in the air. From the ten fighters in the arena, he was the only one that wasn't on foot.

Next came Kellam. She didn't notice the man until she saw a lance go in the air. A lancer wearing heavy armor and a huge shield stood there. She wondered how it was that she'd missed him before. She had seen ten champions, but for some reason she didn't really _see_ him until then.

The fourth name that was called belonged to a man named Robin. A hooded figure that wore a strange coat raised a tome in one hand and a sword in another. That caught the attention from many in the crowd. She could hear people whispering to one another about the man. This would be her first time seeing anyone fight with both magic and a sword at the same time. The hooded man also grabbed her interest in a different way. There was something about him that felt very different from the others.

The last of khan Flavia's champions was a blue haired man named Chrom. He raised an interestingly designed blade up in the air. The man made the crowd even more unsettled. She could hear more and more people speaking about the man. It was hard to hear exactly what it was that was being said because of the strange echo in the amphitheater.

Flavia and Basilio left the arena, leaving behind their champions. Several minutes passed until the khans showed up at the small balcony-like area that was near her. Once more, Basilio rose one of his hands. "Put up a good fight!" he called out to the fighters. "This is a fight that only happens every few years. Fight all out, but don't kill anyone if you don't have to. Ha!" His laughed roared through the space. "Now then…" All the champions took fighting stances. "Begin!"

The very first thing that happened was a light followed by glowing wave that came from the hooded man's tome. It washed all his teammates before vanishing completely. When it touched the others, a similar glow enveloped them briefly before it too vanished. It was something she'd never seen before, yet, felt strangely familiar. She leaned in to get a better look at the action.

Flavia's champions moved in complete synchrony. They were each engaging against one of their enemies. The constant action kept the audience at the edge of their seats. The sounds of battle echoed through the building.

The axeman fought against a swordsman. She thought that was a bad move on the axeman's part, as generally speaking, swordsman's have an advantage towards axe wielders. The fight was very one sided. The swordsman kept slashing at the blonde, getting a few good hits in. Without armor to protect him, some blood spilled on the ground. The swordsman kept it up for a good time. There wasn't enough time for the blonde to make a move. That is, until the swordsman got too cocky. He went in for an upper slash just after the axeman had parried his last attack. His miscalculation left a big opening after the attack was dodged. Because of that, he received a good whack on the head with the side of the axe, knocking him unconscious. The defeat of the swordsman was followed by a cheer from the crowd. Nine champions remained.

On the other end of the arena, the horseman was having an easy time. He too was fighting against a swordsman. This one had a shield, which he was using to protect himself from the incoming spear attacks. The horseman had the advantage in weapon and speed, unlike the axeman. It only took him a couple of minutes to force his opponent into the ground, forcing Basilio's champion to surrender. Another cheer.

The battle was now five against three. It would've been easy for Flavia's champions to get the fight over with. But for some reason, the axeman and the horseman didn't go to the aid of their comrades. They were walking around the outer edge of the battleground, just keeping an eye on the different fights. She thought that this was honorable of them. Going two against one in a tournament would look cheap.

The invisible man-the man with the heavy armor-was fighting against another lancer. They constantly hit each other's shields and armor. They were locked in a stalemate. Both of them were good fighters, she could tell that from their movements, but their skill levels, weapons, and even armor was too similar for either of them to have a clear advantage.

The two blue-haired champions were fighting against one another. Their fighting styles were similar as well. More than that, they both had that interesting looking sword. She thought for a second that maybe it was a more common weapon than she thought in this lands.

The other man still locked in combat was the hooded man. He was fighting against an axeman. His opponent was considerably larger than him. The image of a younger Basilio flashed in her mind. No wonder the khan had gone for that one. The hooded man was trying his best to dodge and parry his opponent's attacks. If the axeman got too close, he would swing his sword to create distance between them. If there was distance between them, he would use dark magic to attack. She saw the familiar looking spell of Flux casted countless times. She knew the spell well enough. Many times she'd been on the receiving end of it. The damage it could cause was considerable. But despite being hit by it again and again, the axeman didn't go down. The hooded man took note of this. He went for a different spell, one she'd never seen before. Circular runes appeared around his enemy, followed by a giant red X forming in front. The attack forced the wind out of the opponent and into the ground, heaving for air. The caster took advantage of this, hitting the man with the side of his blade on the head to finish him off. There was another cheer.

The last one of Basilio's champions still stood. It was the man named Marth. Him and the other bluenette were still fighting one another, displaying great swordsmanship. But just like all the others on his team, Marth soon fell to the ground too, bested by Chrom's superior strength. There was a loud roar, like that of a thousand beasts, when the battle ended.

The winners were announced. Khan Flavia had become the ruling khan. Both khans left the spots they'd taken and headed out of sight. All she could do was take the time she had to look around the audience once more. There were just too many people there to get a good look at anyone. It was impossible. She sighed in defeat. There no longer was any reason for her to stay in Regna Ferox after all. She'd gotten her hopes up for nothing.

She was about to leave when she was stopped by one of the other winners of the fights. He told her that khan Flavia was going to hold a feast. All winners were invited and expected to show up there. She was ready to just ignore the invitation when she realized that perhaps the champions that won could show themselves there. If she was lucky, she would be able to speak with the hooded man, even if it was just for a brief moment. There was nothing else for her to do for the rest of the day. It was too late for her to leave, the sun was already setting on the horizon, painting the sky in red. In the end, she accepted the offer.

Going along with the other winners that had been sitting near her, they were taken to a big hall. Already, tables and chairs had been set. Barrels of mead and wine were being rolled in. Cooks brought food from another room, only to set it down and head right back to the kitchen for more. She was impressed at the speed all this had been set up.

"Is all this really necessary?" she muttered. "How many people are going to be here?"

One of the other winners heard her words. It was the same man that had told her about the feast. He approached her. "Khan Flavia is known for going all out when it comes to celebrations," he explained. "She's not much for planning, she just does things. From past experiences, there are going to be a lot of people coming. It's always been "the more the merrier" for her. Ha!"

She looked at the man for a second. It was good to know all this, but she was discouraged at the fact that there would be so many people around. "Are her champions going to be here as well?" she asked the man.

"The people from Ylisse, you mean?" The man scratched at the stubble that was on his chin. "I think so. You never know with the lordy types. The man with the blue hair was prince Chrom from the Halidom of Ylisse. Wouldn't be too surprised if he skipped with his people." He looked up at the ceiling. "But if there's someone that can have them come, it is khan Flavia."

"Is that so?" She couldn't help but smile a little. The man took notice of this.

"Ah, you wanna meet prince Chrom!" He laughed. "Most women in the crowd were talking about who was better looking, him or than Marth fellow, you know, khan Basilio's champ."

"No, I have no interest in Chrom nor Marth for that matter," she said, frowning at the man for what he was hinting at. "I found the hooded man interesting. I got this feeling when I saw him fighting… I can't explain what it is."

"Hmmm, he _was_ an interesting one. I've never seen someone fight with a tome and a blade. But that's not all. He had this aura to him. Maybe that's what you are talking about too."

"Maybe…"

People started making their way into the room. There had to be at least a couple of hundred. The once deserted room was now full to the brim with people. Not all of them were sitting. Most were chatting in groups, standing to the side. She looked at everyone there. Even if the champions were in there, it would be difficult to spot them. Just standing around wouldn't help her. She started walking around the crowd, weaving through the people, trying not to bump into anyone.

 _Not there. Not over there either. Is that..? No, it's not the right color._

She searched and searched for over an hour. There was no sign of them anywhere. _Maybe they decided not to come_ , she thought. _I should head back soon too befo-_

A wave of cheers echoed around the room. The other guests were all turning to look at the same direction. She caught a glimpse of a group of people walking in. She had to stand on the tip of her toes to take a better look. It was khan Flavia…and her champions! There were so many more of them than the five that had fought! Khan Basilio was with them too, but his champions were nowhere to be seen.

The crowd calmed down only when Flavia raised a cup well over her head. "My friends, today, thanks to prince Chrom and his Shepherds, I've taken back the title of ruling khan!" The crowed cheered again until Flavia waved her hand to get them to settle down. "Tonight, let us show our guests how to feast the Feroxi way!" Everyone raised their glasses in agreement and toasted for the good health of the khan and her champions.

This was her chance. All she had to do was go over there and introduce herself. She had the advantage of having participated on one of the melees and come out victorious! It wouldn't be weird for her to try and have a word with them. She got herself ready for whatever could come her way.

The crowd hadn't settled down. Walking around was even more difficult, as more people were standing after the toast. Still, she moved forward. It was then that a man of blue-gray stepped in front of her, impeding her progress.

"Hold, oh beauteous one," the man said. He wore what he probably thought was the most charming of grins. "I saw you fight in the arena. Your moves have entranced me. You've taken my heart. Milady, would you be so kind as to whisper your name to me so that I can know who's name to chant the next time I let an arrow fly?" The man bowed ever so elegantly, extending a hand in her direction.

She gritted her teeth. The man was wasting her time. She knew the best way to get rid of men like him. "It's a common courtesy to give one's name before asking for someone else's," she told the man as she crossed her arms over her chest and furrowed her brow.

"Your words are as true as your beauty, milady," the man said. "Very well, let me present myself. I am the man who puts the "arch" in "archer"! My name, dear lady, is Virion."

"Okay, sir Virion, now that I know your name, I can say this: you are in my way. I have no interest in you. Step aside."

"Oh, you wound me, milady! Let me redeem myself to you-"

Frustrated with the man not listening to her, she had no choice other than to _move_ him out of her way. She pushed past him and kept moving, zig-zagging through the other people as to make sure she would lose the man. _I swear, those types of men are everywhere!_

She was close to them. She could see the man named Chrom, a girl in a yellow dress, a knight in blue armor, and the hooded man were speaking with khan Flavia. Her heart was racing. Not even during combat did that happen. She'd always been able to keep a cool head, but this encounter made her nervous. Step by step, she got closer to the group. They were having a conversation about troops going to Ylisse. Not that she cared. She just couldn't help but listen in. Just a few meters more and she would be with them. All she had to do was introduce herself. Maybe they would know about _him_ …

She extended her hand forward. She would tap the hooded man on the shoulder to get their attention. Yes, that was the plan. But as her hand was about to reach him, he stepped back into it. By accident, her fingers somehow pulled off the hood off of the man, revealing his brown, messy hair underneath. He turned around to face her.

"..." Her eyes went wide. Her throat dried out. All the color from her skin was gone, leaving her cold and pale. She was trying to get words out, but she couldn't. That man…

He looks confused at her. For a moment they stood in silence. The rest of the group were all now looking in their direction, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. His eyebrows suddenly shot up. Like her, he slowly opened his mouth, trying to get words out.

"Lady Lyn…?"

The moment she heard him call his name, her eyes start watering and her hand starts shaking. She couldn't hold herself back. She closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him. She hid her face in his chest. "It's really you!" She cried out in joy, turning her gaze up to look at him again. Tears were now going down her cheeks. "We searched for you. _I_ searched for you… I've been searching for you for so long." She felt his arms slowly returning her embrace. "But I finally found you! I finally found you, Mark!"

* * *

Okay, I'll be honest with you all. When I started the story, I hadn't planned for this to happen. It was while I was working on the second chapter that I found this one picture that just made me _want_ to take things in this direction. I didn't include her name on the character list for the story because I wanted it to be a surprise. I'll do it in a day or two so that others can get a chance to see this chapter without knowing what is going on. Of course, this opens a whole different realm of possible plots that I can explore. How she got there in the first place will be explained later on. It was really hard to write everything down without giving too much information about her appearance. Not using her name until the very end was also difficult, haha. It was worth it, though.

Poor Kellam, didn't even get to see his whole fight. That was intentional. You know, because he just blends into the background.

A bit of trivia! On the previous chapter, I based the description of Arena Ferox partially on the Roman Colosseum and other amphitheaters around Italy and Africa. I did add some personal touches to it that I thought would make it look more Feroxi, though.

 **Muggzy**

Thanks for the feedback. I'm happy to know that they are good. I'm still testing out different things to see what I like the most, but it's still good to know. With more and more characters showing up, it makes sense to me to focus the combat just in a few people per battle. And yes, I don't want to make Robin overly OP, so I'm looking for ways to limit his abilities a bit. His mind link does have it's limitations too. That will be more apparent on bigger battles.


	8. And so we improvised

Sorry for the wait, everyone. There are a few factors for it. Mainly rewriting sections as I read through it again and again. It's not the best to write just a little every day for a single chapter. I find that it makes it inconsistent. In the end, I am happy with the result, so it wasn't all that bad.

Going from the reviews, people liked the introduction of Lyn. I was happy to see that! She was such a cool character. Trying to adapt her to the Awakening world may take some time. Expect me to be more OOC with her than with others because of that.

Also, the traffic stats on my stories haven't updated since Friday... I use numbers to know how well the story is doing. It annoys me not being able to see how many people have checked out each chapter. Oh, well. Not much I can do about that. Truth be told, I was waiting for FFn to get that fixed before I posted my next chapter, but it looks like that will be taking a long time and I don't want to leave anyone hanging. I just rather keep my story moving instead of losing interest from waiting for something that should really matter.

In any case, let me know what you guys think about this chapter by leaving a review. Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you liked it!

* * *

 _Chapter 8: And so we improvised_

Robin knew that the moment Chrom defeated Marth on the arena, they'd secured what they needed from the new ruling khan. He was happy with his performance in the fight as well as that of his allies. Of course, before they went in, there was _someone_ that questioned his decision on who would be fighting. He didn't pay no mind to it. Time and time again he'd shown results to the Shepherds, guiding them to victory every single time in his short span as their tactician. At least they would recognize that. They left the fighting ring with their heads held high, although a little tired. The rest of their group was waiting for them just beyond one of the many tunnels.

A mountain of cheers and congratulations awaited the five of them. Robin couldn't help but smile. Frederick even acknowledged his hard work. Not Sully. Not yet. He had a feeling that he would have to prove himself again and again to her. He sighed mentally at the thought of it. All he wanted now was to get some rest. Ever since Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick had found him and Tharja, he'd had to fight constantly. That took a toll on his body. There was only so much magic he could use, even if he used his tome, without feeling exhausted. He really needed to take a little break.

 _If we're lucky we won't see any more combat on our way back_ , he thought. Having those few days be undisturbed would be fantastic for him. _Someone else can drive the wagon and I can just relax at the back_.

"Well fought!" A voice called out to them, bringing Robin back to reality. The voice belonged to no other than kahn Flavia. She approached them, wearing a very satisfied smile on her face. "You truly live up to your name, prince Chrom."

"Thank you," said Chrom. "But I would rather hear more about what we talked about earlier."

Flavia chuckled at her champion's words. "You have your alliance, alright. I'll have soldiers move to Ylisse as need be." She paused before she let out a sort of gruff laugh. "It's good to be able to take those kinds of decisions again. It feels like ages since I've held power."

Her words made the tactician wonder just how old the woman truly was. She certainly didn't look as young as any of their group, but to call her old would also be an over statement. He wondered if the northerners had some sort of treatment that would keep one's looks fresh. Or could it have something to do with the whether? That would be a good topic of conversation for the studious Miriel. He wasn't about to ask the khan, who, sword in hand, stood in front of them.

"Now, come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!" The Shepherds didn't get a chance to protest. She khan disappeared as fast as she'd appeared, leaving them with no option than to attend the party. They still had to discuss logistics about the movement of the troops and such.

The khan was simply replaced by another, just had his head turned to look in the direction Flavia had run to while still walking towards them. He stopped just a shy distance away from them. "Give that woman an excuse to celebrate and she'll take it," the muscular man said. He eyed the group for a second.

Chrom was the first to speak up. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

Robin wanted to faceplan. Surely, Chrom should've noticed the other khan that'd walked the arena with them. Robin nudged Chrom to get his attention. When the prince turned, Robin whispered to him, "that's khan Basilio. He's the West-Khan."

"The one you so rudely removed from power, I might add," said Basilio. He didn't give off any ill intent with his words, but it was hard to feel at ease with the man. His appearance alone demanded respect. "I was expecting Marth to do you in, boy. He beat my last champion, although just barely, and he is a force to be reckoned with in sword play."

"Do you this Marth well?" Robin asked. This was the second time they'd met up with him. Both times, the circumstances were far from what one would call normal. This sparked some interest in Robin to know more about the man.

Basilio shook his head, keeping his eye on Robin. With arms crossed, he answered, "The lad just showed up recently and demanded to be made my champion."

"And you would just let him be because he asked?" Chrom asked.

"Of course not. If someone wants to fight for me, they have to prove themselves. So, I made him fight my champion, as I said. It was love at first sight, and I'm generally too old for such things! Bahaha!"

"Is he still around? I would like to speak with him if possible."

"He left the minuted the battle was over. Must not be used to defeat."

In the background, Robin caught Lissa sighing in what sounded as disappointment. That man did save her life. Wanting to meet him again was only logical. "Sounds like someone else is into the whole "love at first sight" thing, huh?" He teased the princes. _A little payback for the river!_

It was too bad that only a few heard him. Some chuckled at the comment. Lissa just flushed. She didn't get a chance to get a comeback, as the conversation carried on with Basilio.

"We should get going. Preparations for the party must be done right about now," said the khan.

"Already?!" Robin couldn't hold back his disbelief.

Basilio smirked at the tactician. "She's a fast woman, that one."

"If she is that fast with sending aid to Ylisse, I'll be glad," said Chrom.

The group turned around and followed Basilio to what would be the celebration room.

Just as Basilio had said, the party was already underway. Many crowded the different tables. Others stood around, drink in hand. Just before the entrance, they met again with Flavia, who was more than glad to see them. She brought them inside. The party guests started cheering when they entered the room. The Shepherds followed behind Flavia and Basilio as they made their way to some big table that Robin could only assumed was reserved for them.

After a toast, the celebration truly started. The Shepherds divided themselves into groups and either ate, drank, and/or talked with each other. Robin found himself staying with the khans. Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick were there too. Tharja, who was with him for a bit, scurried away. The ambiance was probably too much for the dark mage. He frowned when he saw her later sitting by herself. He was about to join her when Sumia and Miriel sat with her. _At least I won't have to worry about her with those around_ , he thought, despite not being sure if those three got along or not. He could only assume so if they were sitting together.

The rest of the event was, well, uneventful. That is, until the Plegian felt a hand reach out and touch his back. He'd just moved to balance himself a bit. THinking he'd accidentally bumped into someone, he turned around, not noticing his fool had somehow been pulled from his head.

In front of him was a young woman in her early twenties, staring at him. Her expression was one of shock. It was as if she'd seen a ghost. This confused him. Was something wrong with him? Had she mistaken him for someone else? He noticed the lack of conversation coming from behind him. They were probably looking at what he was doing. He'd turned his back on them for long.

The green-haired swordsman looked like she wanted to say something but was having trouble getting her words out. She looked... strangely familiar to him.

Something in him switched just then. He'd heard before that when one is about to die, their life flashed in their eyes. Robin didn't feel like he was about to die, and yet, he saw that same thing. Except that what he saw wasn't _his_ life. No, what he saw was something he'd thought had been just a dream. A dream that held an extensive amount of detail in it.

He could see faces of people he'd never met in real life. Events that felt so real, yet, had never happened. Conversations with people that didn't exist. But that didn't make sense, right? One of the people he kept seeing was right in front of him! He could feel his mouth opening slowly as he remembered a name. Yes, he knew who this woman was.

"Lady Lyn…?" He let out the name, more hopeful than confused. If this woman truly was who he thought she was, then that would put into question everything he knew about what was real.

Her reaction hinted at what he thought. She was visibly shaken by him calling her by that name. Someone who'd been called a wrong name wouldn't react like that. He felt as she closed the little distance that remained between them and pushed her face into his chest. Her hands gripped tightly against his back. Tears were soaking through his shirt.

As if to confirm everything-put the last nail in that coffin,or rather, open the coffin-she looked up at him and said, "It's really you! We searched for you. _I_ searched for you...I've been searching for you for so long."

It truly was Lyn! Robin, in a bit of a shock, let his jaw hanging. At the same time, he was overcome with joy himself. His arms wrapped around her just as her were around him.

"But I finally found you," she continued. "I finally found you, Mark!"

"Mark…?" The voice of a certain princess was heard.

With everything that had happened, Robin had forgotten all about the people behind him. He turned to look at them, still holding onto Lyn, who didn't even bother looking at the others. It wasn't just them looking at him. Most of the other Shepherds were looking their way.

"E-excuse us!" Robin let go of Lyn in a flash before grabbing onto her hand and walking towards one of the doors as fast as his feet would take him. Lyn didn't have a problem keeping up with him.

Despite the many guests that blocked their way, it didn't take long before they reached their destination. There they had the privacy they needed for the strange conversation that they would have. He let go of her hand to turn and face her.

"You can't call me that," he told her.

"Huh?" Her voice was low, but not as broken as when she first spoke to him. Her cheeks were pinky, her eyes a little puffy from the tears she'd shed just a moment before.

"I mean that you can't call me Mark," he said, trying to talk as composed as possible.

"But that's your name!" She made a fair point. Technically, Mark _had_ been his name.

How was he supposed to explain this when he himself didn't know what was going on? He let out a long sigh before he spoke up again, "Mark was my name back... _there_. My name here, my _real_ name, is Robin."

"Okay, I think I get it…" He could hear a little disappointment in her voice. She managed to give him a smile despite that. "Robin or Mark, you are still the same man as you were back then." He too found himself smiling back. "You haven't even changed one bit! Other than clothing, that is."

 _Of course I haven't changed…_ he thought. _That happened not long ago for me_.

"You've changed a lot," Robin commented as he took another look at her. "You, ugh, look more mature? Last time I saw you, you were, what? Seventeen?"

"You do remember," she said with a sad smile. "It's been six years, Ma-" She stopped herself right on time. "Robin. Everyone back in Elibe searched for you…"

"Yeah…" He didn't know what to say to that. To him, Elibe was nothing but a figment of his imagination. A bizarre memory from his past. To change the mood of the conversation he said, "but it's good to see you've grown so well."

Lyn chuckled. It was hard to tell if it was because of what had happened earlier or not, but Robin was almost sure her cheeks turned just a tad more pink. "Thanks! But I'm more curious to know how it is you haven't aged. Is there something about this world? Or mayhaps you are a dragon too?"

He ignored her second question, seeing as how impossible that was. He would know if he had dragon blood in him. Her first one, however, peeked his interest. "So you do know that this…"

She shot him a reassuring smile. "I'm not stupid, Ma- ...Robin. I've been here for months!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend," he said nervously. "But if you've been here for months then that means-"

"Why did you run away, Robin?" The girl with the pigtails said as she approached them out of nowhere. Behind her, her brother followed.

"I know we haven't known each other for long, but that was really uncharacteristic of you," said Chrom.

"Ooh, I see how it is~" Lissa's voice sounded playful, but it sent a chill down Robin's spine. Lyn, on the other hand, just looked confused. "So, Robin," Lissa started, leaning in towards him with a very mischievous smile. "Is this your girlfriend? Tharja is going to be maaaad."

"Stop that," Robin said, cringing with every one of her words. "She's not my _girlfriend_. And don't go spreading rumors about it behind my back either. It's hard enough being a Plegian in an Ylisse militia as it is." He made a gesture towards Lyn. "This is an old friend of mine. Her name is Lyndis, but she goes by Lyn." He then turned to Lyn and gestured towards the other two. "This is Chrom, prince of Ylisse, and his sister Lissa, the princess."

"Nice to meet you both," said Lyn with a smile. "I'm sorry about earlier… It's just been so long since we last met."

"But didn't you call him Mark earlier?" Lissa asked, tilting her head to one side.

 _Damn, she's sharp!_ Robin was caught between a rock and a hard place. Explaining everything would be impossible. He wasn't sure what was going on. The best course of action was to come up with something fast. He was looking downwards when he remembered something.

"Ah, that's because of this." He took off his right glove to reveal the strange mark he had as far back as he could remember. The purple mark covered the back of his hand. It wasn't overly complex, but the six eye-like shapes made for an interesting design. "When we met, she commented on it and called me Mark because of it." All he could do was hope they would buy it.

"Yeah, that's how it was," Lyn, surprisingly, backed him up. He could see that she was staring at the mark curiously, just as much as Lissa and Chrom were. "I never learned his real name because of it."

Chrom looked satisfied with the answer. "If you say so, then that's how it is," he told him, offering a smile. "Will you be coming with us then, Lyn?"

"Oh, gladly!"

But while Chrom didn't seem to want to ask any more question for the time being, Lissa still looked curiously between Lyn and Robin. Robin knew that she would keep asking questions later on. _The trip back doesn't sound as peaceful anymore_ , he thought.

"Great, it's good to have one more on board," said Chrom. "With you, we've gained two swordsmen for the Shepherds along with the troops we need."

Robin arched an eyebrow. "Two swordsmen you say?"

"Khan Basilio presented us with his past champion-a man named Lon'qu. If what the khan said about him is true, then we'll have another skilled soldier on our side."

"That's good to hear. The more the better, no? Although, it's going to be cramped in the wagon on our way back."

"He'll have his own horse. He doesn't...get along with women too much."

"I see…"

"We should return to the party. There still are things to discuss with the khans."

"Right, we'll be right behind you."

Chrom nodded before he and Lissa walked back to the party. Robin sighed in relief. "Keeping this secret is going to be difficult," he muttered to himself. "We should follow," he told Lyn, who nodded and walked besides him.

"So are those two part of your new journey?" Lyn asked.

"Ah, you could say that. I'm not sure I would call it a journey, though."

"You know, I saw you fight at the arena," she changed the topic. "How come you never did that when we traveled together?"

That was a complicated question. For one, he didn't know he could use magic over there. He would go with the easiest answer instead. "I didn't have my tome with me," he said. "I never felt comfortable using a generic tome. I keep all my spells on a personal tome, to lighten the load I carry with me."

"What about the sword then?"

"Ah, that's something I picked up recently. I can only parry. And just barely at that."

"Oh!" She suddenly sounded excited. "Let me help you train with a sword then! You helped me a great deal in the past. It's the least I can do."

Robin pondered on the offer. She was a more than capable swordsman, that was true. Her skills as a teacher, however, were still unproven. Then again, even if he learned a fraction of what she knew, that would turn him into a somewhat capable swordsman. In the end, he accepted her offer, which in turned made Lyn a little happy.

The rest of the day was spent talking with the khans. In order to make sure not to have to answer any more questions from a certain princess, Robin made sure to stick to Chrom, Frederick, and the khans like leach. And, not knowing anyone else, Lyn did the same to him. It was that way that they made it through the entire event. The Shepherds were offered rooms to stay, thankfully, as an added "thank you" from Flavia.

It was running late. The day had turned into night. Robin could hear the wind a snow hitting against the window of the private room he was given for the night. A small fire kept the room warm and lit, giving it a cozy feel. For one that wasn't used to snow, the fire was a very welcome sight. He'd removed some of his belongings, leaving only his undershirt, his pants, and the yellow small jacket on him.

He was sitting on the bed, reading his tome, when he heard a knock at his door. It took him by surprise, given that he knew most others were already fast asleep. Setting the tome aside on the nightstand, he got up and walked to the door. He opened it and was greeted by the same green-haired woman he'd just reunited with that same day.

"Is something wrong, Lyn?" Robin asked. He noticed that she wasn't carrying her swords nor her coat with her. Something had to worry her if she was visiting him that late at night.

Still, she shook her head. "No, but I was wondering if we could talk some more?"

He was half expecting her to say too had many questions he wanted to ask. The trip back would take a few days. Getting another chance to have a one-on-one talk were slim. He smiled at her and opened the door fully. "Come in," he told her.

"Thank you." She offered him a smile as she walked inside. He quickly closed the door.

The room was small. That had been the reason why he'd gotten one for himself. But now, that made things a little hard. There was no chair and table to sit at. The only option was the bed. They both ended up sitting on it, a little awkwardly, considering they were a man and a woman.

Just as Robin was about to ask what was bothering her, Lyn spoke. "How old are you?"

That was definitely not the question he'd been expecting. He looked at her, a blank expression on his face. "I'm twenty two," he answered. "What's with that question?"

Lyn giggled for a second. She made an effort not to look at him, instead looking intently at the fire that was on the other side of the room. "When we first met, you were twenty-two and I was sixteen, just like Eliwood. Hector was seventeen. You were among the older members of our group."

He didn't know where she was going with that. "Yeah…?"

"It's just funny how things switched around," she said, again, giggling.

That was something he hadn't considered. He'd asked her before how long it had been since they last saw each other. He could've come with the result much earlier. It was hardly the strangest thing about the situation, but it was humorous in a way. He ended up chucking.

"I'm still going to treat you the same, though," he told her in a mocking tone. "It hardly changes anything."

"You are supposed to respect your elders, Mark." She stopped for a second as she thought about what she said. "Robin. Sorry. It'll take some time getting used to calling you that."

"It can't be helped." He simply shrugged. "We already came up with a story as to why you call me that. You can keep calling me Mark, if you want. It's no big deal as long as we stick to it."

She nodded. Silence took over again. This time, it would be Robin who broke it.

"How did you get here? I mean, you said it yourself, this is isn't your same world."

"You went missing a long time ago. We all searched around Elibe for you, hoping to see you again. I followed many rumors along my travels, but they all lead to dead ends. That is, until the day before I came here.

"I met a man who said he knew how to find you. He even had proof-your green robe and some type of scroll that I couldn't read, but I remember seeing you carry it around."

He could easily remember the robe. Much like the one that was folded near by, he used to wear that same robe all the time. The scroll was an entirely different story. He couldn't remember anything about it.

"He took me to a cave he called _the Ruins of Time_. I didn't think much of the name back then. He told me that if I wanted to find you, I had to go in there. So I did. I can't remember how long I was in there for. When I came out, I was here, in Ferox."

 _The Ruins of Time_? That was a place he knew nothing about. If what she said was true, it would be in Ferox. Perhaps, in the future, they would get a chance to investigate the place.

"I'm glad I came," she said, turning to face him. "I got to reunite with you and even see where you came from."

Robin smiled too. "The right world, yes. Not the right country. I was born and raised in Plegia-a country to the southwest of here. It's almost a complete opposite of here. Most of its territory is a vast desert. Also, we have a lot more dark mages than anywhere else in this world. I myself am a dark mage."

"That would explain your obsession with robes," she teased.

"Watch it, you."

"I'm just poking fun at you a little," she said. "Can we go there? To Plegia?"

Robin's smile quickly soured. He turned back to look at the fire. "No. I left Plegia in self-exile. If I were to go back, the Mad King would put me on trial for desertion and high treason.

"Remember the girl Lissa mentioned? Tharja?" Lyn nodded. "She was going to be put through the same hell I went through. I ran away, bringing her with me, to Ylisse, where I met up with Chrom and Lissa. We joined them both. Chrom is the leader of the Shepherds, a militia from the Halidom of Ylisse." He chuckled, his features relaxing some. "I'm their tactician now, just like I was with you guys."

He stretched his back. The sound of his spine cracking resounding. He plopped down on the bed, just looking at the ceiling, with his hands under his head.

"I wish I could go back to Elise," he said. "We fought for peace there. I deserve a break."

Lyn turned to look at him. "Why don't you?" she asked. "We can go back together. The rest would be happy to see you. You could meet Eliwood and Ninian's boy, Roy, and Hector and Farina's girl, Lilina."

Robin couldn't hold himself back. He let out a big laugh at hearing that. "So Hector had a girl in the end, huh? Does he have a beard too?"

Lyn, knowing what Robin was referring to, laughed too before responding. "He does."

"It does sound tempting…"

"But…"

"But there is much to do here still. Strange things are happening in this world, least of all you coming here. It wouldn't feel right for me to leave right now."

Lyn smiled at the tactician. "You've always been a good guy like that, Mark. Always doing what's best for others."

"I suppose that at least that second part is true, Lyndis." They shared a smile.

"Okay, I think we should call it a night." She stood up and headed towards the door. Robin just sat back up to take a last look at her, a little disappointed that she was leaving. "We can talk some more tomorrow." And so she left that night after exchanging good nights.

Robin already felt really tired as it was. He got under the covers of the bed and found himself starting to drift to sleep, despite the cold. The last thought he had that day was how he wished he'd asked Tharja to put the same hex on him so that he wouldn't have to be cold.

His eyes fluttered open the next morning when light from the window landed on his face. He slowly got up, already feeling the chill after getting the covers off of him. The fire was out, but there wasn't any other signs of snowfall. It was a good thing they hadn't left the night before.

Robin slowly got off of bed and dressed himself. The last thing he grabbed was his sword and his tome just in time for Frederick to come knocking on his door. They were getting ready to leave. Robin nodded at the knight, following behind him as they made their way outside, where the rest of the Shepherds were waiting for them.

"Good morning," he greeted all. He only got a few responses back. Those who answered were the ones that looked better. Half their numbers looked more like the Risen-just walking around with an expression of dread. They shouldn't have indulged themselves during the party.

"Robin, I would like a word," said Chrom as he tried to wave the tactician over. Both RObin and Frederick approached the prince.

"Is something wrong?" Robin asked.

Chrom shook his head. "Not at all. I just wanted you to meet Lon'qu before we set off."

A tall man with odd garbs stepped closer to Robin, giving the smallest of bows. The man, who could only be the Lon'qu Chrom spoke of, didn't say anything. Going by his name, Robin assumed that the man was from Chon'sin, a land he knew very little about.

"It's good to meet you, Lon'qu," he told the man. "I'm glad you will be joining us."

"The khan tells me what to do. I just swing my sword." The man's monotone voice made him look both serious and intimidating.

"Riiight… Okay then, should we get going to the stables?" Chrom noded, catching on that Robin didn't have much else to say swordsman.

"I'll let the others know," said Frederick. The knight walked towards the rest of the group.

The three remaining men stood there in silence. It could be because it was early in the morning still, or maybe because of the way that brief conversation went. Robin didn't think it was all that bad though.

"So, Robin, are you going to tell us more about your lady friend?" Chrom asked, giving a nudge to the brunette.

 _I was expecting that from Lissa, not you, Chrom,_ Robin thought as he rubbed the spot he'd been elbowed.

"It's a long story," Robin said, rolling his eyes. "Not a very interesting one at that."

"If you don't want to talk about it then it's a good story."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch."

Robin eyed the prince, who was smirking back at him. Lucky for him, their flow was cut short when Frederick came back and informed them that they were ready to move. He flinched when he saw Lissa talking with Lyn. Whatever they were talking about, it couldn't be good. Him and Lyn would need to get their story straight just in case. He couldn't just go in there and interrupt without looking suspicious. They would have to talk another time.

They reached the stables without any problem. It was a good thing that they were pretty close to the inn they'd stayed at. Whether Flavia knew about this or not, it was something Robin didn't know or cared about.

They all went to their spots. Riders at the front, passengers at the back, Robin as the driver. There were a few differences between the ride back, though. Lon'qu was riding at the front of the pack, with the rest. As Chrom had said the day before, he had a horse of his own and carried very little possessions with him. Sumia was also riding at the front on her pegasus. The girl looked more confident after the battle they'd gone through at the wall.

The wagon also had two additions. One was Lyn, of course. The other was Kellam, who Robin could swear, appeared out of nowhere. If the man put his mind into it, the tactician knew that the lancer could become a great assassin or spy.

Because of the added baggage and the two extra bodies on the wagon, there wasn't enough space for everyone to sit at the back. Lyn decided that she would sit with Robin at the front. It wasn't a bad idea. He would be able to keep control of any conversation regarding their past if need be. It would also stop Lissa from asking weird questions, or so he thought. Surprisingly enough, after they left the city, it wasn't Lissa who asked the first question.

"My dear friend," the archer started. "I had no idea that you had such a beauty for a friend! Between her and lady Tharja, you truly are a blessed man."

Lyn grunted while Robin felt a bit of a shiver come over him. He really didn't want to talk about it.

"He reminds me of Sain," she said, ignoring Virion's comment.

Had she not said it, he would've never made the connection. Both Sain and Virion always flirted with the ladies. Despite their looks being so different, even some of their mannerisms and complements they threw were very similar.

"True," Robin said with a slight smile. "But look ahead. of us. Aren't you reminded of a pair when you look at Sully and Stahl?"

The comment lifted Lyn's mood. They two knights did look a lot like their first companions back in Elise. Even the color of their armor was the same.

"You are ignoring Virion, Master Robin," came the cold voice of the black mage. Was she jealous? Why would she be? Or maybe she didn't want to deal with Virion, so throwing him at her "master" was best for her.

Lyn turned to look at Tharja and then looked back at Robin. "Master Robin?" He felt dirty from the way she said it and the look Lyn was giving him. He tried to wave it off.

"Your guess is as good as mine…" he told her.

"I believe Robin's lack of a response towards Virion was deliberate," Miriel said. Robin could practically see her on his mind as she adjusted her glasses. "Instead of feigning ignorance, a change of topic, one that only they can understand, is the best way to separate themselves from the current conversation. This is only a hypothesis based on my own experiences during social interactions."

"A very insightful view from our scholar," said Virion.

"Hey, tell us how you guys met!" Lissa was truly fishing for either gossip material or something to blackmail him later. "You didn't mention her when you told Emm about your story."

 _Damn you, princess!_

"Emm?" Lyn was understandably confused.

"Lissa's older sister and the Exalt of the Halidom of Ylisse," Robin explained. "She was the one that sent us to Ferox. Remember what I told you about yesterday? About the weird events going on? It's related to that."

"Sooo, how did you two meet?" Lissa was full of questions.

"What's with the sudden interest in my life?" Robin asked defensively.

"You are our tactician! Of course I would want to know more about you. Besides, Kiriel and Tharja talk mostly about magic. Virion is, well, Virion. Vaike is being a kid and doesn't want to talk because you are here-"

"Hey!" Vaike's voice carried all the way to the front of the wagon. "Who you calling kid, squirt?"

"As I said, like a kid. And I don't know where Kellam is."

" _Um, I'm right here. Hello?"_

"That leaves you two to talk to. Besides, I also want to get to know Lyn better. If she's going to be part of the Shepherds, we should get to know each other and be friends, right?"

Her reasoning was flawless.

"So, if you don't want to tell me how you met, fine. At least tell me how you met a noble woman?"

"Oh? Is Lady Lyn really a true noble Lady?" Virion asked.

"Wha-what makes you say that, Lissa?" Robin asked.

"Well, when she approached you at the party, you called her _Lady_ Lyn."

Robin didn't know how to respond to that. Thankfully, Lyn came to the rescue.

"I am a noble only by blood," she said. "I never lived that life."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, Lissa. I don't think much of it now. Tell you what, I'll tell you how Robin and I met."

Lissa perked up, but Robin looked at Lyn with worried eyes.

"Truth is, I found him unconscious in the middle of nowhere, near where I lived. I couldn't leave him there. I ended up bringing him home and watching over him until he woke up."

Robin nodded approvingly. The truth was best.

"I see."

"What's the matter, Lissa?" Robin asked. "You sound disappointed."

"I was expecting...I don't know," she said.

"There is a lot more to it than that, but she is telling it as it was. It would take too long to go over everything."

"Then why not tell me now?!"

"Oy, calm down. I didn't get to talk with Maribelle much, but if she saw you, she would probably tell you that attitude was not fit for a princess."

The mentioned of a certain noble girl was enough to get Lissa to back off for the moment. Just like the trip to Ferox, it would be a long trip back to Ylisse.

* * *

This was a beefy chapter. Not the longest, but not short either. I wanted to have it end when they got back to Ylisstol, but it became a monster. One of the things the game doesn't portray too much between chapters is the passage of time. I really want to emphasize that, which is why I've gone into detail in the past about what the Shepherds do on their down time. Remember that this trip took them days to make. A lot of stuff can happen in those days, even if there is no combat involved. They gained two new members. As Lissa said, they'll try to get to know them better. This helps for character/relationship development, which I personally like. Still, don't think I'll forget about the battle any time soon!

I set up a few things with this chapter too. That was good. It gives me things to write about for later chapters... If I remember everything. Hehehe... I can have bad memory, okay?

The image for this story is the one I talked about on the last chapter. Robin looks blonde there, but Mark was always shown as a brunette on his sprite. That's why I described Robin as having brown hair.

Hope you guys come back to read the next chapter when it's out. Until next time!


	9. And so she parleyed

Hello again, readers! Sorry for the long wait. If you've read my other story (A Gathering of Leaders,) you already know the reason for it. If you haven't, electrical problems fried the power supply and motherboard on my desktop. Got some replacement parts, but because I didn't have my computer, I couldn't type up anything T.T

That's all solved now! No need to worry. That being said, updates will slow down for this story too as I'm spending more time job-hunting at the moment. With roommates just came back from their summer break too, so I have less free time. Still enjoy typing up the chapters though. I don't plan to stop that any time soon. I really want to see this story reach a good ending.

This is the longest chapter yet with close to 8,000 words. That's even after I cut some stuff out and shorten other things. I thought for a bit about making this into two chapters, but I wasn't satisfied with how the first one ended, so I rolled with this option instead. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!

Hope you guys enjoy it. Let me know on a review what you think of it. Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it!

* * *

 _Chapter 9: And so she parleyed_

The next few days were the most exhausting days of Robin's life. Despite the fact that they encountered no enemies on their way back, he found himself wielding a tome and/or a blade more often than not. His enemy-one or another of the Shepherds.

It all started after they made camp on their first day-not too far from the wall dividing the Halidom of Ylisse from Regna Ferox. Like he'd agreed to before, the tactician trained his sword skills with the help of his old friend Lyn. He received many hits from the much more skilled woman than he would like to admit. Not once was he able to go on the offensive as she didn't leave any openings for such a thing, instead hitting him with a barrage that he could only try to defend from. In the end, he found himself exhausted and with a number of new bruises all over his body. The only thing he was grateful for by the end was that they'd used wooden swords that Frederick had packed when they first set off from Ylisstol. Unfortunately, in order to borrow said items, the knight gave the condition that he would be allowed to watch the training session. That was a big mistake. A mistake that came back to haunt the poor tactician.

Instead of getting some well deserved rest after being brutally beaten by Lyn, the knight _forced_ the dark mage to train some more, this time with him and Chrom. Robin tried to find an excuse to get out of it by using Lyn, but she was no help at all. Perhaps that was a little payback for disappearing for so long from her world. With no escape, he found himself facing off against the prince, who applauded Robin's determination in trying to hone his skills with a blade.

The prince's words were kind, but his blows were anything but. Compared to Lyn, Chrom was slower but the hits were much stronger. He found himself hitting the ground more often, although he received fewer hits on his person. He was also able to go on the offensive a few times, but every single one of his attacks were parried with ease by the more experienced prince.

By the end of the back-to-back training sessions, Robin felt as if his body was made out of jelly. The torture didn't end there, however. As soon as Frederick was satisfied with the training session, the three of them headed into Chrom's tent to discuss logistics for the coming Feroxi aid. There was also the matter of planning what they would do for the rest of their trip, as Robin would now be included in a number of different training sessions, much to the tactician's displeasure. And so, when Robin was finally able to go put up his tent, he simply laid down inside the wagon and fell asleep instantly, being too tired to bother with putting up the tent.

The next morning, Frederick came to him before sunbreak. Robin was still half asleep to tell what the conversation was about, but apparently he agreed to go on a morning jog with the knight. The rest of the Shepherds were just waking up by the time the two of them got back to camp. Luckily for Robin, he didn't have to pack anything as he never put up his tent. Instead, he headed for a small stream with a piece of cloth in hand with the idea of wiping away his sweat. Once more, his plan didn't work out the way he wanted. Lissa had set up an elaborate "prank" for him that consisted of a bucket full of water and some rope. He was happy to be hit by the refreshingly cool water. Not so much about his drenched clothes. A sense of deja vu hit him while he looked took a look at himself and heard the laughs from a certain princess.

His robe had to be hung on the back of the wagon to dry. The task of driving the wagon was taken by Vaike. Robin didn't question the decision as he was more than happy to be protected from the elements with the others. Being on the back also meant that he could get some more rest.

With his clothes still a little damp, Robin was forced to huddle up under a blanket with Tharja and Lissa sitting to his left and right respectively. He was trying his best not to shiver or sniffle as the wagon kept moving forward. Across from him sat Miriel and Lyn. Virion had been relegated to the back of the wagon.

"I have to say that I'm envious, Robin," the archer said out of nowhere as he eyed the tactician.

"Envious?" Robin repeated.

"Yes. You have two lovely ladies close to you, one on each arm. What man wouldn't feel a tinge of envy. Perhaps lady Miriel and Lady Lyn will allow me to take a place between them."

"I don't think so," said Lyn, not even giving it a second thought.

Miriel closed her eyes and adjusted her glasses before saying, "Robin has a need to share body temperature with others due to the condition of his clothes. You, however, seem sufficiently capable of putting up with the cold temperature."

Virion tried shivering, but no one believed him.

"It's not like I planned this," Robin said before sighing. "I'm freezing here. I'm too numb to even pretend to be enjoying this."

"Heeeey," Lissa said, annoyed by Robin's comment. "If you hate it that much you can go to the back with Virion."

"You are the last person I want to hear that from," Robin scolded. "You are the whole reason why I'm in this situation. I _told_ you before! This are my only clothes. You have to live with the consequences for your actions, princess."

"Fiiine," Lissa winned as she rolled her eyes. "But what about Tharja? Why is she with us too?"

"The hex I used on myself also makes my body radiate a more heat than a usual body," Tharja said. "And with my attire…" he scooted herself closer to Robin. "It is easier to transfer body heat. to Master Robin."

"Fascinating," Miriel said. "I would like to hear more about this hex another time, if possible. It's also true that body heat can be more easily transferred with direct contact from the skin."

Robin couldn't move away from Tharja. If he tried he would just end in the same position but with Lissa instead. "Just be careful not to catch a cold yourself," he said. "Just because you don't feel cold doesn't mean you won't get sick."

The time soon came for them to stop for the day once more. Some of them got the tents ready, while Robin found himself being forced to train once more. This time it was training with Tharja and Miriel. Magical training didn't take as much of a toll on his body, but it could be exhausting in it's own way. The benefit of training with Miriel was that every time she casted a wind or fire spell towards him, his clothes would dry up some more. That didn't mean he didn't have some close calls. Magic can only be dumbed down so much as to not harm someone. Because of that, Lissa kept watch over the three with her staff in hand.

That training was done, but there was no rest for Robin. Lyn approached him next and told him it was time for some more lessons. With sword in hand, he moved with her to a different area where they practiced for some time. This time he was able to predict a lot of Lyn's movements. He moved his sword swiftly and expertly, blocking as many of the incoming attacks as he could. Still, he wasn't able to go on the offensive, despite his quick improvement.

After that was done, Robin found himself facing off against Lon'qu, who'd been roped into training with him after Chrom failed to show up because he'd been distracted by a conversation with Sully, Stahl, and Sumia. Whatever that conversation was, Robin didn't know. His mind was fully committed into the fight. He eyed his opponent carefully. Lon'qu used a killing edge instead of a double edge sword like most others in the Shepherds. His fighting style was different too. It reminded Robin of the fights against the Feroxi in Arena Ferox, but it also had different aspects to it that were foreign to him.

With Robin's whole body aching, Frederick called an end to it. The tactician didn't know if he should've been thankful or not, as it had been Frederick's fault in the first place that he'd been beaten so much in just two days. _I am getting something out of it...I think_ , he thought.

The next few days consisted of the same; a run in the morning, quick breakfast, driving the wagon (now that his clothes weren't a problem,) stopping to make camp, training with Tharja and Miriel, training with Lyn, training with whoever Frederick chose, dinner, and finally some sleep.

Again, those were the most exhausting days Robin had had yet. Thankfully, that reached an end when they crossed the arch that welcomed them into Ylisstol. They'd finally made it back! Robin had only been in the city once before, and only a day at that, but he'd never been happier to get to a destination than he was then. No more taining, no more pranks from Lissa, no more having to deal with a cold shoulder from Sully and Vaike or the weird comments made by Virion from time to time. Of course, he knew deep down that it wasn't completely the case as the Shepherds would eventually have to start training in the next coming days.

After taking the horses and the wagon to the stables located by their garrison, Frederick, Chrom, and Lissa approached Robin.

"We're going to tell Emm the good news," said Chrom with a prideful smile. "Do you want to come with us? I'm sure she'll want to show her gratitude to you for your part on this all."

Robin sighed as he scratched the back of his head, thinking about the proposition. He wasn't doing the whole tactician work thinking he would be rewarded, but hearing someone sincerely thank him would have been nice. In the end, he decided against it. "No, you guys go on ahead without me," he told the bluenette. "I'll show Lyn and Lon'qu around the garrison. Maybe I can get Kellam to help too, if I can find him. I haven't seen him since we left Arena Ferox."

Lissa giggled at his words. When Robin asked her what was so funny, she said, "you've only known the garrison for, what? A day? It'll be like the blind following a slightly less blind man around."

"Yes...funny." Robin prided himself about his memory. Besides, the garrison wasn't all that big when you don't count in the personal rooms of the other members. "Oh, by the way, Frederick," he started after something popped into his mind. "Don't forget to get them rooms. Especially for Lon'qu. Something tells me that if he shares a room with someone that someone won't be happy about it."

"I've thought of it already," Frederick responded. "I'll have a word with someone to arrange for their rooms. By the time we get back they'll be ready."

"We'll be going then," Chrom said. "I leave those two to you, Robin."

"Right," said Robin. With that, the prince, the princess, and the knight made their way towards the palace. Robin walked the other way, heading towards the barracks, where Lyn and Lon'qu were still waiting for him to arrive as he'd asked them to do so.

From a distance, he noticed that Lyn was trying to talk to the swordsman. She tried approaching him a little, but the man almost jumped back. Robin hadn't told Lyn about Lon'qu's special...situation. Those two hadn't had a chance to talk since they left Ferox. It was no surprise that Lyn didn't know about it.

"Sorry to make you guys wait," said Robin, finally reaching the two. He eyed Lon'qu, who tried to compose himself and pretend as if nothing happened, and then Lyn, who was just confused. _I really need to tell her before you draws weird conclusions,_ Robin thought. "Let's head in."

Robin took walked them around the place, from the storage area and training ground, to a small dinning hall and the hallway to the different personal rooms. The compound was a big place to explore only if you went into every single room. It took them a lot shorter than the tactician had expected to look things over. He remembered his own tour took longer. _That was because I also met the rest of them at the time_. They ended up standing in silence by the entrance of the garrison.

"Oh, now that I think about it, I haven't done _that_ with you guys, huh?" Robin asked. His words only helped confuse the two. "Mind linking, I mean," he answered before they had the chance to ask what he was talking about.

"Mind linking?" Lyn repeated.

"Yeah, that's how I'm able to coordinate everyone during battle. I used to do something similar while we traveled with Hector and Eliwood."

Giving it a second thought, Lyn caught on. "Ah! I didn't know you called it that."

"It's just a name to explain what it does."

"What exactly is this "mind link" you speak of?" Lon'qu asked. His stoic expression reminded Robin of Frederick, somewhat. Comparing the too, Frederick was a lot more expressive than Lon'qu was. Perhaps he only thought that because he'd only just met Lon'qu, but Robin was sure he was already getting a good read from the man.

"Why don't I show you? Just lean forward a bit and close your eyes, the both of you." They did as they were told. Robin placed his hands on top of their heads. The glow that he'd grown accustomed to see ever since meeting with Chrom washed over the two. "Okay, you can open your eyes now." He withdrew his hands from their heads.

Robin went on to demonstrate how the thing worked and then explain as much as he could about it. Lyn looked very interested on it. Lon'qu, on the other hand, looked more uncomfortable. He even asked if Robin would be reading his mind from then on.

Their conversation was interrupted when Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick entered the garrison. They asked everyone to meet gather around.

"Plegian forces have been sighted in Thermis," Chrom informed them. "They'd captured Maribelle and are holding her hostage. We're leaving immediately. I'm sorry that it's on such short notice, but the life of one of our own is at stake. Meet up at the stables when you are ready."

"Are we taking the wagon again?" asked Sumia.

"No, we'll each ride our own horse-your pegasus on your case, Sumia. We can't afford to lose time. Also, Emmeryn, Phila, and some of the Pegasus Knights are coming with us as well."

"The Exalt is coming?" Robin asked, more stunned about that little detail than Plegian soldiers crossing the border.

"She wished to offer parly to King Gangrel…"

"Is that really wise? Isn't she putting herself in potential danger?"

"We tried to have her reconsider, but she wouldn't have it. Emm can be stubborn, especially when it comes to peace."

Robin knew that it wasn't his place to question the Exalt's decisions. Still, he couldn't help feeling uneasy about the turn of events.

Short there after, the Shepherds were heading towards the stables when a voice called out for Chrom. The voice belonged to a small kid, no older than fourteen, who'd rushed to catch up with Chrom. He was panting, having had to sprint for gods know how long. The kid held a tome in his hands. His clothes were very similar to those of Miriel. He too was a mage, though if he was to the same level than the intellectual was up for debate.

"Sorry I'm late," said the kid.

"Ricken, why are you here?" Chrom asked. It felt more like he was scolding him.

"You said you wanted all the Shepherds coming, right? So I'm here!"

"Ricken! You are too young for something like this." The words rang true. Robin thought that the mage looked too young and green to go into combat. "You'll have to sit this one out."

"B-But I'm ready! Let me show you I can be of help!"

"No buts! Head back to the garrison and keep on training."

They left the Ricken behind, Robin taking a look every now and again to see if he was still standing there.

"That was a little harsh," Robin told the bluenette. "He's a kid, but he just wants to help."

Chrom sighed. "I know...It's too risky. And with Maribelle in danger...We can't risk having someone with no experience whatsoever coming with us."

"Weren't you the one that said that some experience you can only gain in actual combat?"

Chrom fell silent as his words had been used against him. He couldn't deny that those still held true. "Next time…"

The ride to Thermis was a short one with everyone riding their own steeds at full speed. Sumia went with Phila and the rest of the Pegasus knights to scout ahead for the rest of the party. They soon returned with the location of Maribelle and her captors. But that wasn't all. According to Phila, King Gangrel himself was there. Chrom had said that Emmeryn wanted to offer parly, but Robin wasn't expecting to have to meet with his old king like this. As if the situation didn't already have his heart running, it started beating a little faster except this time it was out of nervousness. He ended up pulling his hood up in hopes that it would fool the king about his identity.

The Shepherds came to a stop some distance away from the Mad King and a woman clad in odd armor-like, black clothes with tan skin and white hair. There was something about her that Robin could only describe as being off. What it was, he didn't know. The pair stood on higher ground, as if that would mean they were of higher importance than everyone else present.

The Exalt, Lissa, Chrom, Phila, and Frederick stepped forward, closing the distance just a bit more. Robin stayed behind with the others, a hand on the hilt of his sword and his tome on the other. He knew the ways of king Gangrel. There was no way everyone would leave without some spilled blood.

"Oh? What's this?" Gangrel's voice echoed around them when he spotted Emmeryn. "The Exalt herself blesses us with a personal appearance? Such magnificence is enough to burn my eyes! I should really ought to look away." The sarcasm in his words was noticeable. The king gave a stupid grin followed by a maniacal laugh at his own joke.

"King Gangrel," Emmeryn called out, trying to remain calm. Given the situation she was in, Robin could only admire her for sounding like that. "I understand that you have captured one of my people; a noble woman from the local house. I wish to learn the truth of the events that happened that would have you come here in person."

The white-haired woman that stood by Gangrel chuckled. "The truth, you say? If that is what you want, I'll gladly give it to you."

Robin could tell Emmeryn felt disturbed by the words of the other woman. It didn't seem like she recognized the Plegian. "Perhaps milady might first share her name?" Emmeryn asked.

"You may call me Aversa." A quick and to-the-point answer. For some reason, the name sounded somewhat familiar to Robin. He had to shake that feeling aside as Emmeryn spoke up again.

"Very well, Aversa. May I know the condition that lady Maribelle is in?"

"Lady Maribelle?" Gangrel asked confused before realization struck him. "Oh, you mean that blonde brat! She has been a pain on my side ever since she stepped on Plegia." The king waved his hand to order some soldiers around. Maribelle was brought into view, despite much struggling, up on the cliffside, held captive by two Plegian barbarians that looked much more like bandits than they did soldiers.

"Maribelle!" Lissa's shout what one of both panic for the well being of her friend as well as relief to see she was unharmed.

"Like king Gangrel said, this girl crossed the Plegian on her own authority," Aversa picked up. "And when soldiers were sent to escort her back safely, she attacked them ferociously."

"You speak only lies, hag!" Maribelle protested. "I did no such thing! Weren't you ever taught the meaning of the word "truth" in wretched-crone school?!"

"And now you lower yourself to name calling? Such nasty words spilled from nothing but a criminal." They were using fancy speech and even using Maribelle's words against her to prove she was guilty of a crime that had been most certainly fabricated.

"Is this to be expected to nobles of Ylisse, Your Exaltedness?" Once more, Gangrel asked mockingly. "The girl should be punished, I say! What would happen if she were to confess to being a spy? The punishment would have to be tremendous to fit the crime, wouldn't you say? That is, unless the house of Ylisse were to offer and act of _considerable_ good faith as to repair our relations."

"It is you who should be confessing, sir!" Maribelle anger was pouring out. "I have done none of the acts you claim. Your men were the ones that crossed the border and then put a village to the torch, going so far as killing some of the people living there! And when I tried to intervene, they restrained me and forced me to cross the border. The evidence of this can be found in the village! Let the plundered shops, and the charred homes and bodies of the deceased serve as my proof!"

"I've heard of similar instances happening all over Ylissean territory," Gangrel countered. "That proves that Ylisse has a bandit problem that they can't control. You can't even protect your own people? What a shame for a leader. But it is indeed a shame that there was a loss of life. Tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."

"Your Grace, please!" Maribelle was now pleading to the Exalt. Robin didn't know the girl much. He did know Gangrel, however. Maribelle could have no proof that she was innocent and still Robin would be more inclined in trusting her than the Plegian King.

"Peace, Maribelle," Emmeryn told the girl, much to her relief. "I believe what you say to be truth. King Gangrel, I request that you release and for you to retire your troops from Ylissean territory. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need of hostages."

"Return her?" Gangrel questioned, looking insulted with just having to say those words. "What of an apology? You offer parly, but you only deal in absolutes. I should have her head and go back! Gods know that it's within my rights to do so after her actions and your insults."

Robin felt a chill go down his spine. It wasn't because of Gangrel's words, no. He had a feeling as if someone was watching him. His eyes scanned around to try find whoever it was that was giving him a bad eyed. When his eyes connected with those of Aversa, he froze for a second. The woman's lips curled up instantly while Robin's eyes only widen in surprise at her reaction. She approached Gangrel and whispered something to him before stepping back. This time, it was Gangrel who eyed the hooded tactician before smiling.

"What do we have here?" Gangrel asked with a melodical tone. He let out a loud laugh that echoed far into the distance. "From all the people to see here!" Gangrel's actions took everyone by surprise. The tension that had surfaced since they got there turned into confusion. From their whole group, the only ones that knew what it meant were the five at the front and Tharja, who was standing further back. This was the worst possible scenario Robin could think of.

"I see you've brought my dear tactician-in-training," Gangrel said. Instantly, all eyes turned to Robin. "What's the matter, my boy? Don't tell me you didn't tell them about me…" Once more the king laughed. He looked over at the rest of the Shepherds. "He was to be part of my guard. Potentially rise as high as Grandmaster of Plegia! But instead of thanking me, he ran away with a girl that was meant to be part of my personal guard as well." He then returned to look at Robin. "To think that you would actually seek refuge in Ylisse! Ha! Those people killed your family! You would not only betray your country but also the people that raised you since you were an infant?! You are lower than a traitor! And after all the effort Validar went through to make you into who you are… Such a disappointment."

Robin instinctively clenched his fists and his jaw. The man spoke so freely, almost as if they'd been good friends! The nerve of him pissed off the tactician. "You shut your mouth," Robin shouted, venom almost visibly spilling from his words. "You have no right to talk about my family! As for Validar, he was a hateful man that would see me broken before succeeding in anything."

Lyn, who stood by his side, only let out an almost inaudible, "Mark…"

"...But he is your master, none the less," said Aversa.

"You would speak to your king like that?!" Aversa had been calmed, but Gangrel was just as angry as Robin had been. Robin was pleased to get such a reaction from the man, given how he was acting so smugly when talking to Emmeryn just moments before.

"You said yourself that I'm lower than a traitor, no?" Robin repeated the words back. "You are _not_ my king. You are just the Man King to me."

It was Gangrel's turn of gritting his teeth. "Now then, Your Graceliness," he said, referring to Emmeryn. "You want the blonde brat back? How about a trade? Give me the Fire Emblem and Robin. In return, you can have Mari Contrary here back in one piece. I'll even let you keep the sorceress that Robin brought to Ylisse with him."

"You would ask for my life _and_ the Ylissean treasure?! The trade should be me for her! I'll gladly go with you if you release her, even if you execute me!"

"Execute you? Oh no, my boy, I'll do much more than that to you. I'll make an example out of you. I'll gut you alive. And just before you die, I'll have my healers get you back to health only to do it again and again. Only when I get bored will I have your head on a spike! It will be the centerpiece on my table for quite some time.

"But as much as I relish in doing that, this is much greater than just you! I _will_ have the Fire Emblem!"

"If you are asking for the Emblem, I assume you know of its purpose," Emmeryn said. "Is your goal so noble that you would use such a powerful artifact to achieve it?"

"The death of every Ylissean! The one goal every Plegian has in common. What would be more noble than that?" Emmeryn was stunned with the response, not able to come up with anything to say. The reasoning behind using the Fire Emblem was nothing more than ludacris. "After your father's crusade, how many people lost their families? Look at Robin! He too lost everything because of it. Your father butchered my subjects and my kin! I will have you pay the same price."

"My father made many mistakes during his reign. The war against Plegia being the biggest one. But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace."

"It's easy to talk about peace after you slaughter your neighbours, huh? I've heard enough from you! I will have the Fire Emblem _now_!"

"Your Grace, please," Maribelle pleaded. "Do not do it! I would sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate!"

"Maribelle…" Lissa whispered her friend's name.

"I've had it with you all," Gangrel said. "You talk and talk and talk. Don't you know how to do anything else? Let us switch to a different type of conversation! This negotiation is over, Your Luminosity! If you won't hand me the Fire Emblem willingly, then I'll just have to rip it out of your dead hands!" With another wave of his hand, more soldiers appeared in front of them. One of them, an axeman, tried approaching the Exalt and the other royals, but was cut down by a single swing of Chrom's Falchion.

"Stay back!" Chrom shouted at his enemies. "If you want to leave, you will turn around and walk away."

"That's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one… A _big_ , _messy,_ war that will _bleed_ you Ylisseans dry," said Gangrel.

Robin took a moment to use his Eagle Eye to take a look at the current field. He could see approaching enemy forces. They would be down on them in no time. As they currently stood, they were nothing more than sitting ducks. He rushed forward to reach the royals.

"Get back! Gangrel is sending in his forces," he told them. They did as they were told. The Shepherds and the Pegasus Knights that were present grouped up.

"Robin, please, we have to help Maribelle," Lissa said with a shaking voice.

"We will, but we can't have the Exalt be at the front lines."

"What would you have us do?" Chrom asked. Even with everything that had been said by Gangrel, Robin could tell that the trust the prince had in him was unwavering.

"Phila and her Pegasus Knights will stay at the back to protect Emmeryn," he told them confidently. "If anything gets near them they can deal with it with overwhelming numbers. As for us and the rest of the Shepherds, we'll hit them head first to prevent them from reaching us. We need to get up there to help Mari-"

His words were interrupted by the sound of wind magic hitting someone. Judging from the direction of the sound, it had to involve Maribelle. Using his ability, he spied Maribelle running alongside another figure, one wearing a hat.

"Ricken came after all," Robin said.

"What?!" Chrom was surprised by the turn of events.

"No matter! He's bought us time, but the two of them are being chased by enemy soldiers. We'll have to get to them and offer support.

"There are two ways up the slope. I'll divide our approach. All enemies have to be taken out. We can't allow any of them to escape. Not as things are now. Everyone, get your weapons ready and into position."

When the glow coming from Robin's tome spread out to all of his teammates, they sprung into action. As he'd said before, the Shepherds divided themselves into three main forces: those attacking from the north, those attacking from the south, and some that would stay back to offer extra support to Phila and her knights.

The north team consisted of Vaike, Stahl, Miriel, and Lon'qu. The south team had more members, as there were more enemies on the way and would be the team reaching Ricken and Maribelle first; it was formed by Sully, Virion, Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Lyn, and Robin himself. The plan would be to have Sully and Frederick escort Maribelle and Ricken down to Phila and the rest of the Shepherds (Tharja, Kellam, and Sumia,) before going back and rejoining the fight, while the other five kept going up.

Robin and the rest of the south team moved as quick as their legs, or their horses legs in the case of Sully and Frederick, would take them. The path their were taking was a lot more steep and narrow than that on the north side. This worked to their advantage, somewhat, as Virion and Robin were able to take out enemies from the back of the line. The front liners were doing their best to cut down any enemies that stood in their path.

From a side glance, Robin knew that Ricken was trying his best to keep himself and Maribelle protected as much as possible. The young mage was doing a good job. It was all just a matter of knowing how long he could hold out for.

Even as he fought, Robin had to coordinate the movements of all the attacking forces. Including himself, there were eleven people he had to make sure worked together like a well oiled mechanism. The mind link helped a lot, as he could send orders to the different Shepherds or just give them a heads up of what he could see.

" _Miriel, there's a black mage hiding near those trees_."

" _Frederick and Sully, enemies reinforcements approaching to our right. Be careful._ "

" _Lissa, stick close to Lyn and Chrom_."

" _Lon'qu, pair up with Vaike and make sure Stahl can keep moving forward._ "

Those were just some of the things he told his team. They were covering good ground when he noticed a number of wyvern riders approaching. With the speed and the convenience of not having to mind about terrain, those wyvern riders would reach Ricken and Maribelle before them.

" _Virion, get on Frederick's horse. I'll get on Sully's. We need to get to those two NOW! Chrom, Lissa, and Lyndis, cover us. There are more troops coming down!_ "

His orders were absolute. Not a single one was questioned. Even Sully, who would normally butt heads with him, didn't say anything about pairing up with him.

As Frederick and Sully moved forward and took out any foot soldiers that were in the way, Virion and Robin used their skills to take out others from range. Frederick's axe cut down a swordsman. Sully's lance pierced another in the chest. One of Virion's arrow hit its mark, a caster that was too close to their rescue targets. Robin casted Flux on an oncoming enemy, bringing him rolling down past them and onto the lower part of the battlefield. If the man was still alive from the hit and fall, someone down there would finish him off before any trouble could arise.

With perfect teamwork the four of them were able to reach Ricken and Maribelle before the wyvern riders. Virion and Robin jumped off. "You two, get on the horses with them," Robin told the two.

"Wait," Ricken said between gasps. "I-I can still fight! Please, let me show you I can do this!"

The kid had the spirit to keep on fighting. From the looks of it, he was too exhausted to continue, however. Robin shook his head. If the kid refused again, he would have Frederick or Sully _drag_ him down. "No, you can't," he told the other mage. "Not in that condition. There are many other fights you can take a part of in the future, but that's only if you are _alive_. Now go!"

Ricken still looked hesitant. He was about to object again when Maribelle placed her hand on the younger man's shoulder. "He is right, Ricken…" Reluctantly, the words were enough for him to give in and do as Robin had said.

That left only Viron and Robin. Just in time too, as he spotted the approaching wyvern riders going right for them.

" _Are you ready, Virion?_ " Robin asked.

" _My friend, I'm always ready,_ " Virion answered.

" _Hit the wyvern. If we can make the beast fall, it'll crush the rider._ "

" _Not to worry. I have my experience dealing with wyvern riders._ "

Virion shot one of his arrows into a perfect arch. The arrow flew perfectly. Robin wasn't sure it would hit the target until the very last moment. The wyvern cried out in pain as the arrow digged itself deep into one of the creature's eyes. The tactician looked over at Virion, who simply grinned back. There was no time to celebrate. They had to keep on going.

Instead of using a dark spell as he was used to, Robin opted to go with anima magic instead. He knew how to wield such magic. Before he learned the dark ways, he was taught the basics of all magic, including healing (he sucked at that one.) It had been a long time since he last casted a wind spell. He just had to pray that the weakness wyverns had towards wind spells would be enough to compensate for his lack of training.

Holding out his trusty tome, the pages fluttered open to one of the first pages on it. The spell, Wind. Green waves of cutting wind appeared around one of the wyverns. The spell did it's job. It cut into the through scales of the beast, causing enough damage to the wings for it to fall and hit the ground. Just as he'd said before, the rider was trapped underneath the beast.

It was like so that the Shepherds kept on fighting. Sully and Frederick joined the fight once more after returning from the bottom. How long the fight took, no one would be able to recall. All Robin could remember was that by the end of it, all Plegian forces had perished while their own only suffered minor injuries that could be healed with a staff easily.

Robin walked with Lissa to the bottom, going directly to see how Maribelle was. Chrom came with them, but he ended up taking Ricken with him and scolding him about his actions.

"Maribelle!" Lissa called out. "I'm so glad you are okay." She hugged her friend with full force behind her. The momentum also brought the two of them to the ground.

"It's good to see you are safe," said Robin as he approached the two. "Good thing Ricken showed up when he did."

His words, for whatever reason, were met with a stone wall from the woman. "Oh...it's you…" she said. With all the trouble he went through to make sure she came back alive, he felt insulted and hurt by those words. Had he done something bad to her?

"You may not be fond of me, but it's a relief to see you safe none the less." Robin tried to keep his cool as much as he could."

"Oh no, it's nothing to do with fondness. I am simply protective of Lissa. My treasure is very sensitive…" The words only confused him more. He had done nothing bad to Lissa since they first met. If anything, Lissa was the one playing pranks on him all the time. "Actually, why should I justify myself to a commoner? Gods…"

Lissa's words about how Maribelle was the first time they'd met her resounded in his head. He could do without being insulted right to his face after putting life down on the line for her.

"Maribelle!" Lissa's voice was filled with concern, though not towards the owner of the name. Maribelle must've realized this, as she coughed into her hand and then tried to sweeten her tone.

"I...apologize. With today's events, my mood is nothing but foul." Foul wasn't the word Robin would use to describe it. He decided against saying it to her. "You have my thanks for everything you did for my rescue. There, I said it!"

 _Well, a half-hearted thanks is better than another insult,_ he thought. He offered a small bow to the noble girl and then walked away. Just because she was sweet for a second didn't mean she would continue being so for the next.

He was making his way back to the rest of the group when Lyn approached him from behind. He wouldn't had noticed her if she hadn't put her hand on his shoulder. He turned around to face her and was received with a smile.

"You did great out there, Mark," she told him. "Seeing the differences between when we traveled together and now… I don't even know what to say! I mean, you were always amazing with tactics, but to be able to combine that with magic, _and_ still be able to fight? You are full of surprises."

The conversation he had with Maribelle was washed away with her words. She always had that sort of effect on him. Still, hearing her say that made him feel embarrassed. He chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck. "I've been training to do that for years," Robin confessed. "When I traveled with you, I was so focused on tactics that I didn't even think about using a tome. Well, that and I'm not comfortable using any tome that isn't my own one. I did write mine, after all."

"That makes sense," she said. "It's like me and my sword. Ever since I got it, I can't think about fighting seriously without it." She held onto the hilt of her sword and smiled. "Speaking of which…" The smile disappeared. "Don't think I didn't notice that you didn't use your sword! What's all the training meant to do if you aren't even going to try using it in real combat?"

Robin could feel cold sweat running down the same spot on his neck he'd scratched just a moment prior. "Hey, come on! I just didn't get much of a chance this time. Next time for sure. I'll try my best!"

"Yeah, yeah. Make sure you try _harder_!"

The two of them chuckled for a bit. Soon, they found themselves standing there in silence. Robin could tell that there was something on her mind, but he wasn't sure if she should be the one to ask about it as he didn't know if that was the right time to discuss anything of importance.

Eventually it was Lyn to speak up. "Hey… Is what that guy said about you true? King Gangrel, I mean."

"Depends which part you are talking about," Robin answered truthfully. "If you are talking about my parents, then yes. Fifteen years ago, there was a war between Plegia and the Halidom of Ylisse. It was a crusade headed by the past Exalt to eradicate all Grimleal."

"Grimleal?"

"They are people that follow Grima, the Fell Dragon. Grima tried to take over all the continent over a thousand years ago. He was stopped by the first exalt of Ylisse and Naga, the Divine Dragon. They weren't able to kill him. Instead, they did the only thing they could, which was to put Grima into a deep slumber.

"Anyway, as I was saying, during the war, my family was attacked by Ylissean forces. They were killed. I was able to escape just barely…"

Lyn looked down to try and let the words set in. Just as Robin was about to continue, he heard Chrom calling him over.

"We can continue this another time, if you want to know more," he told her, trying to muster a reassuring smile. His past was something he'd accepted long ago. Talking about it didn't bother him too much anymore. He also knew a great deal about her past. It would only be fair for her to learn about his. "Let go see what they are up to."

Their eyes met and they shared a smile. This suited her better. In truth, he was glad that Chrom had decided to call for him at that moment. The two friends walked side by side towards Chrom. They joined him, Emmeryn, Frederick, and Phila mid conversation. It seemed like Chrom still hadn't gotten over his actions prior to the altercation escalating.

"Forgive me, Emm," said Chrom I let Gangrel get the better of me. Now we have a war on our hands…"

"It's quite alright, Chrom," Emmeryn told him. "If there's anyone to blame here is King Gangrel, not you. You did what you thought was best. You have good intuition, Chrom. Remember to always follow what you think is right."

"I'm glad we have Robin on our side," said Chrom, referencing Gangrel's words. "It's because of you that we could so flawlessly rescue Maribelle and come back without any loss of life on our side, my friend."

"A day's work on the life of a tactician," Robin said. His words were received by smiles and a couple of giggles.

"Seeing you manage the battle today has put me at ease, Robin," Emmeryn said. "Now I see why my brother holds you to such high esteem. His decision to make you the Shepherds tactician was indeed the correct one."

"I appreciate it, Your Grace."

"There are still more important matters to discuss, Your Grace," said Phila. "The king Gangrel and Aversa disappeared amidst the chaos of combat. I believe they both would be across the border by now."

"I believe so too," said Frederick. "The Mad King will make a call for his forces to take up arms, if he hasn't done so already. We can expect an attack to come at any time. I suggest we return back to Ylisstol in haste to discuss our next move."

Emmeryn couldn't hold it anymore. She let out a sigh. The work she had put up with for fifteen years was now crumbling down on her. "War is upon us. There is no way to avoid it now. We must do everything in our power to protect the Ylissean people at all costs."

"May I make a suggestion then?" Everyone turned to look at Robin. "Ylisse doesn't have a military force, correct? The royal guard, the Pegasus Knights, and the Shepherds won't be enough to stop the Plegian army.

"Chrom has already made an alliance with Regna Ferox. I say word should be sent to khan Flavia to request troops to defend against the invading force immediately if we are to prevent loss of life."

"Yes, that is a good suggestion. If nothing else, we can have the Feroxi evacuate the villages closest to the border in an effort to buy time." All present nodded.

War. That was something Robin didn't want to see again in his lifetime. Not only that, but he was on the opposite side of it all. He was to help these people fight against his homeland. He knew that it was the right thing. Emmeryn's way was that of peace. With her, they would be able to end the war quick. At least, that's what he chose to believe. Still, he couldn't help but feel sadden at the idea of fighting and killing other Plegians. Every last one of them, including the ones that had lost their lives that day, would weigh down heavily on his conscious.

* * *

And there it is! First interaction with Gangrel, Robin's past revealed to all the Shepherds, and also an extra connection to Validar (just briefly mentioned.) Reading the reviews, I can tell you guys are pretty sharp. I wonder what else you can find in there~

Special thanks to **werehogdog** and **Whatsotoknow** for their support. It's always good to hear people enjoying my work.

 **Guest -** I don't have any plans to create another story for the time being. With less free time, yes, I don't think I would be able to handle it right now. If I do create another one, I would end up updating it every month or something, haha! That or it'll just be a one-shot. Who knows? That also would depend on me getting a cool idea and polishing it for a bit. Right now, my two Fire Emblem stories take all my free thinking time.

 **Rennerd** -You, my friend, have the right idea! I have nothing set in stone for that yet, but I'm really looking forward to typing it up. It's gonna be fun for sure.


	10. And so she predicted

_Chapter 10: And so she predicted_

That day had been an eventful one. After getting back the the capital, the Shepherds had set off to rescue one of their own. Unfortunately, that resulted in war between two nations-Plegia and the Halidom of Ylisse. The good part was that they'd successfully rescued their comrades unharmed. They were all somewhat optimistic. That victory made them all feel like they would be able to end the war with a victory.

When the sun was setting and the moon was starting to rise, they reached a town that was on the way back. Bandits, most likely hired by Plegia, were attacking the place. A townsfolk by the name of Donnel-a farmer kid that wore a pot on top of his head to protect himself from incoming arrows-pleaded to them to help. Emmeryn and Chrom, being who they were, decided to send their numbers over.

That battle too had resulted in a victory. Two out of two in a single day. It was something to be happy about, but most of them were starting to feel the wear from the constant fighting. Robin could only hope that the war wouldn't take out so much out of them, both physically and mentally. On the plus side, they'd gained a new member. The same kid that had asked for their help had decided to go with them, becoming a Shepherd. According to Frederick, the kid had great potential, as he'd proven himself during combat.

Robin's eyes drifted towards Donnel. He was happily chatting with Lyn. The kid looked energetic. He had every right to be pleased with the outcome. He had to leave behind his mother in that said town, but Emmeryn promised them that aid would be sent to defend against any more incoming attacks. She was referring to the Feroxi troops, which had yet to be deployed.

Much like Donnel, Lyn looked happy to be talking with someone. Robin hadn't been too talkative since the encounter with Gangrel. To those that didn't know her as well as he did, she would look like any other day; energetic and happy. Robin knew that was not entirely the case. He could tell that she was tired too. She would collapse in her quarters as soon as they got back, most likely.

Further ahead, at the head of the party, were the royals and their bodyguards. Emmeryn was talking with Chrom. From the little Robin could hear, they were discussing further action that should be taken to prevent civilian casualties. Both Phila and Frederick rode their mounts besides their charges. Just behind them, Lissa was talking with Maribelle. The princess looked worried. She had to know that this would take a toll on her sister. She was worried. And her worry caused Maribelle to worry. The only thing that could keep their spirits up was being able to talk with each other.

Lon'qu was riding on his own. His expression was unreadable, nor did he show any signs of being tired. As a soldier, he was ideal. Being able to go from battle to battle showing no weakness was what a soldier should do. But the Shepherds weren't an army. They could only be described as a militia. Their methods unorthodox but effective. That's why Robin was worried about the other man. He was still a new addition to their numbers. Perhaps he would open up more in the future.

Virion and Miriel, the two most notably talkative members of the Shepherds, although their topics of discussion were from two completely different realms, were completely silent. Virion tried to look as the noble he repeatedly said he was, although there was no proof that was the case. Miriel was just looking forward, her tome barely hanging from one of her hands as she tried to keep the horse moving with the other.

Stahl and Sully were talking, thankfully. Again, not as much as they usually would. The drive that Sully had that set her apart from others was missing that night. Robin found himself wanting the woman to click her tongue at him or send him one of those death stares she would do from time to time instead of...doing nothing. An odd thought indeed. But Stahl tried to keep her entertained. If it wasn't for his tired eyes and the way he swayed on the saddle, he would've looked like any other day.

Sumia and Vaike were riding along side the other Pegasus Knights that had come with them. Vaike looked excited about the prospect of war. With all the training Robin had heard the blonde had put himself through, it was obvious he wanted to show off his abilities in combat. Sumia, on the other hand, was still trying to find her footing. She was good with her lance, but lacked the confidence from the male. Seeing her with the other Pegasus Knights was an eye opener. She stuck out like a black sheep from a flock.

Then there was Kellam- _Wait_ , Robin stopped for a second. _Where is he?_ He started looking around to see if he could find the metal man anywhere when a voice caught him off guard.

"-obin," the voice said. It was enough to snap him out of his train of thought, his eyes opening just that bit more to prove he was no longer in his own world.

"Master Robin," the voice repeated. There was only one person that would call him that.

"Yes, Tharja?" Robin turned to look at the other Plegian dark mage. Somehow, as he had been observing the others, she'd made her way to his side. It was frightening how easy she could sneak up on him. Although, with how tired he was, someone could have a sword to his back and he wouldn't even notice.

"I said you look tired," Tharja said. "You should drink something. You've been pushing yourself all day." She extended her waterskin, much like he'd done with her so many times when it was just the two of them. Robin gracefully accepted it.

"Thanks." He took a swig of water before returning the waterskin to its owner. "I've had a lot on my mind…"

"About Gangrel and Validar?" Tharja asked, grabbing the item back. She then drank some water herself.

"Amongst many other things. It feels like we've gone through a lot-too much even-since we first left Plegia… Honestly, I was looking forward to never hearing that man's name again."

"Hm…"

He turned to look over at his companion. She too looked tired. The two of them had something in common that none of the others had. "How are you holding up?"

"Me?" Robin nodded, causing Tharja to giggle. "You being worried about me brings me joy. I am doing as good as you would expect. I would feel better if I could cast a hex or two, though. It is a good stress reliever."

"I doubt that using even more magic is a good idea." He let out a long sigh. "But I was asking more about the fight with Gangrel's troops."

Tharja remained silent, pondering the tactician's words over. "I don't care greatly about it. People are people, no matter where they come from. Yesterday I was with them, today I'm not. Who knows where I'll be tomorrow? For now, I'll feel better if we survive instead of them."

The statement was a bittersweet one in many ways. "So you are opening up to the others then. That's good." He decided to focus on the good side. "I've seen you talking with the other Shepherds. I'm happy to see that you are getting along with them."

"I get along with _some_ of them. Nothing else."

"You don't like them, then?"

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't have associated with them. They will get us in trouble many times over."

"True…" That was something he couldn't deny. Then again, pondering about what could've been and what should be was a waste of time and energy. The past could not be changed.

Their conversation became more light hearted as time passed on. It had been days since they got to talk that much. He'd been too busy with training and talking with Chrom and some of the others that he'd forgotten to check up on her. That conversation they held lasted until they reached the capital.

The moon was high in the sky. It had to be close to midnight when they reached the barracks. Chrom, Lissa, Emmeryn, Phila, and Frederick had gone to the castle while the rest stayed behind to make sure the horses were tended to and do a weapons check-responsibilities that fell on Robin to make sure were done right.

When the task was completed, Robin decided it was best to check on Chrom and the others. Their next move had to be decided on. That would be the only way the tactician would be able to rest with ease of mind. Whatever the decision ended up being, the end result would be the same. _How many are going to die this time?_

The night sky was clear. A small, refreshing breeze ran through the area that was the courtyard. There he spotted the familiar figure of a certain bluenette prince, staring off into the distance. He slowly approached the man, taking his time, in hopes that he would not be disturbing him.

Only once he stood a few feet away from Chrom did he speak. "It's late for a night stroll, don't you think?"

The prince, taken by surprise, turned to face his visitor. "Oh, hello, Robin," Chrom greeted with a small smile. "I should be asking the same to you. You were looking rather tired on our way back."

 _So he noticed_. Robin scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed like a child that had been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. "It's been a long day. More importantly, is something on your mind? You look troubled."

Chrom remained silent for a while, looking at the ground. "During the last war with Plegia, we reached a point where we had no soldiers left," he confessed. "My father had farmers drafted into the army. There weren't any weapons or armor to spare. They were forced to go into battle carrying sickles and pitchforks, much like Donnel did earlier today… It took it's toll on Emmeryn greatly."

"Such an experience would change anyone."

"After father died, she was forced to become the Exalt at the age of ten."

"That's a lot of weight to go on a child's young shoulders."

Chrom nodded. "And with a legacy like his, she had that much more pressure on her. The Plegians wanted Revenge, the nobles houses of our halidom distrusted her, and most importantly, her own people hated her for sins she did not commit. They hurl insults at her-and stones. She still bears the scar from one…

"She was in pain, not that anyone knew about it. Except for Lissa and I, that is. And the only reason we knew of it was because we would see her in such states when she thought no one was around."

"Must have been hard. She had become very strong because of it."

"Very true, my friend. To this day, I don't know how she did it...or how she can still keep it up after so many years. The hatred she got she returned tenfold in warmth and patience. They struck her, and she tried her best to nurture their wounds while ignoring her own. She brought the soldiers back to their homes-to their families. She was the one that ended the war. And when Ylisse's spirit was mended and the people "forgave" her? She never resented them for it. Not any a single one of them. No, she loved them all the more for finally accepting her.

"She is a symbol for what the halidom stands for, what it should've _always_ stood for-peace; the part most worth protecting. But some men would take advantage of that. Men like King Gangrel. He'll only understand peace when he finds it in his death bed. If that is the case, then that may be the role that I am to play during this war. To act as death's agent. Not that Emmeryn would ever approve."

Robin remained silent for a moment, letting the prince have a moment to breath. It was clear that Chrom had too much bottled up inside of him. Given his position, that would only increase as the war escalated further.

"You think the war will repeat itself," Robin said. Chrom was taken aback by the words, but remained silent, waiting for Robin to continue. "Ylisse doesn't have any soldiers to speak of. If Ferox can't provide enough troops, Emmeryn too could end up being forced to draft farmers to fight for her. She's cornered, between losing the treasure of her house and the people she's spent over a decade trying to heal.

"It's true… War never changes. One way or another, civilians are going to die because of this. There is no way around it. All we can do is protect Emmeryn and her cause to the best of our abilities-to end this war before it claims too many lives, just like the crusades did."

"Well spoken, sir," the voice of a third person cut the conversation short. Robin and Chrom turned to look at the one responsible only to find the all too familiar figure of a certain masked individual walking towards them.

"Marth…," Chrom muttered. Marth came to a stop, equidistant from the tactician and the prince.

"Good evening to you both," Marth said. "I was expecting prince Chrom to be on his own. I'm rather surprised to see you here too, sir Robin."

"How did you get in here?"

Marth turned to look at the distance. With a finger pointing to the direction he came, he said, "there is a clef on the wall over there, behind the maple grove. I believe you are familiar with it."

"That- How could you possibly know about that?"

"You know of it, Chrom?" Robin asked.

"All too well," Chrom answered. He lightly rubbed his forehead before continuing. "During one of the training sessions with the Shepherds, I accidentally bashed in that part of the wall."

""Accidentally?"" Robin repeated. "How does one "accidentally" bash in part of wall…?"

"That is not of importance," Marth said. "There are more important matters to discuss. I've come here to warn you of what is to come." The phrasing chosen made Robin stand at attention, although, admittedly, skeptical of what the warning would be.

"Warn us?"

"The Exalt's life is in danger."

"Emmeryn's life?" Chrom looked rather nervous after hearing the notion of her sister's life being on the line. Still, like Robin, he didn't know if he could take it seriously. "What? That's absurd. There is a guard with her at all times. The palace itself has many sentries along the walls!"

"And yet, I speak the truth. It's not a matter of if or when it will happen. It's a matter of stopping the perpetrator before they reach their target. I've seen it happen in the future once already."

"The future? You must be jesting. I'm beginning to think what Basilio said about you is actually the truth…"

"You don't believe me, then? So if I told you I have seen the future, a future where the Exalt is murdered in cold blood, here, tonight, you would dismiss it?"

"The only thing I can believe is that you've lost your wits!"

"Wait a moment, Chrom," Robin said. "We should hear him out."

"You too, Robin? Don't tell me you are falling for this…"

"I'm a dark mage of Plegia. We delve in every aspect of magic-we go further than most would only dare. I've never tried anything like what he speaks of, but I've seen many things in my lifetime that would sound like insanity." His journey Elibe popped into his head. Lyn's appearance, someone he thought was only a dream, was now with him in reality. "Someone seeing the future is...the least impressive."

Something Robin said took Marth by surprise-although he couldn't tell which one. Even with the mask hiding his eyes, there were clear signs that he wasn't expecting to hear those things.

Chrom, on the other hand, looked thoughtfully at his friend. "You say that, but…" Robin's argument had made a dent on him, something which Marth noticed too.

"Then I shall prove to you that I speak the truth," he said. Before Chrom had a chance to protest, Marth took out his sword and held it in front of him. This action was conflicting with what he'd been saying. If he was trying to warn them of the imminent assassination of Emmeryn, why would he try to attack them?

Suddenly, the bushes behind Marth moved. The shadowy figure of an assassin came out of cover, rushing towards the prince at full speed. Marth jumped in the air, moving out of the way of the assassin. That left the man with a clear shot of Chrom. But before he could reach his target, Marth came down on the assassin, his sword piercing the armor, skin, and bone of the would-be killer. The body fell to the ground motionless. There was no more danger.

"I trust this will be evidence enough," Marth said. He swung his sword once more to remove the blood that stained its blade.

"...Yeah," Chrom said, giving in.

Marth wouldn't get a chance to celebrate his small victory, however. As he brought down his sword, a second assassin rushed towards him. With blade in hand, the assassin swung his blade at Marth. The future-seer jumped out of the way, but not before his mask was cut in half. Chrom took the opportunity to dash forward. This time, it was he who saved the other's life by killing the assassin.

With both attackers neutralized, Chrom was finally able to see the man behind the mask.

"Wait," he said. "You're a woman?"

It was true. Not only did the mask reveal that it was indeed a woman. Her hair also came loose during the attack, revealing it to be much longer than it appeared only moments ago. Although the reveal came to a surprise to Chrom, Robin had suspected it to be the case since their encounter in Arena Ferox. A talk with Virion further supported his theory on the matter.

"And apparently quite the gifted actress," Marth said, pleased with herself. "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner. I-"

An explosion went off in the not-so-distant palace. The three of them exchanged a look to confirm they all heard it. Without any other word, they ran towards the doorway with the throne room being their final destination. They had to make sure Emmeryn was alright.

At their speed, they were able to reach it in only a few minutes. Luckily for them, Emmeryn was there with Phila. Not only that, but the explosion had been heard by the rest of the Shepherds, who had entered the throne room just after Robin, Chrom, and Marth did.

"Chrom!" Emmeryn moved to her brother's side. "I'm glad to see you're all safe."

"We're lucky that no one went to sleep," said Chrom. He turned his attention to Phila. "We're under attack. We've already dealt with two assassins in the courtyard."

"My apologies, milord," Phila was quick to say. "We don't know how they made it this far without being detected. The royal guard are trying to defend the walls, and I've already deployed the Pegasus Knights for support."

"They should be enough. There are already enemy troops inside the walls. We need to take care of them before they reach Emmeryn, Shepherds."

"Yes, captain," most of the Shepherds said in unison.

"No!" Emmeryn's protest was carried by the echo in the room. "Chrom, you must take Lissa and flea immediately."

"I can't abandon you here," Chrom said. "We'll handle them. Just stay here, where it's safe. Phila can protect you here."

"If we can take out the enemy commander the troops will scatter," Robin said. "Someone once told me that assassins will only keep on attacking if they have the upper hand. If we can eliminate the head, the rest will scatter."

"What do you propose?"

"We leave a few more people here for extra support, in case things get out of hand. The rest spread out through the palace and kill any enemies along the way. The enemy commander will be at the back of the attack. We just don't know in which direction the attack is coming from."

"Who's staying behind?" Frederick asked.

Robin took a moment to think it over. All that time he'd spent looking at the others on their way back was now giving fruits. "Vaike, Stahl, Sumia, and Miriel will stay behind." He then turned to look at Marth. "You too. You seem to know something about what's going on. If what you said before was true, then you may be able to prevent any surprise attacks. The other three will be under your command."

"You aren't using your abilities for this fight?" Miriel asked.

"Unfortunately, Eagle Eye is useless indoors. And I've used too much magic in our two previous fights to even try and reactivate the mind links."

"B-but then should we really spread out?" Lissa asked.

"We don't have any other option. Everyone here is a great fighter. Being indoors also works in our advantage. The limited space means no one should be overwhelmed by incoming enemy forces. That being said, we should all pair up for this fight.

"We'll divide into two groups,-east and west. Chrom will take the lead of one group and I'll take the other. Maribelle, Sumia, Sully, Kellam, Virion, and Ricken, you are all with Chrom. Lyn, Lon'qu, Lissa, Frederick, Tharja, and Donnel are with me. That way each group has a healer, a rider, some magic and ranged attacks, and, most importantly of all, having Chrom and Lissa on different groups means that if one is overwhelmed, both of them won't be lost…"

Except for Phila and Emmeryn, everyone walked out of the room. The defending team, that is, Marth's team, would be stationed just outside. Robin looked at them for a second. There was a lot riding on their success in making sure no one entered the room.

He walked to the doorway and then crouched. There was a rug that crossed it, from the hallway into the room. He moved it aside and stared at the floor.

"What are you doing?" Marth asked.

"One last line of defense," he said. Using his sword, the tactician sliced his left palm open. The wound wasn't deep enough to cause too much damage; it was just enough for a good amount of blood to start pouring out. Using his own blood, he started making a magical seal on the floor.

"May I ask what exactly it is you are doing?" Frederick asked. His nickname of Frederick the wary was fitting once more.

"Blood magic," Tharja responded. That allowed Robin to concentrate on this task. "He's making an explosive seal. If someone steps on top of it. Kaboom."

"What if one of our own needs to head inside?"

"A blood magic seal has it's pros and cons. It's destructive power is equal to no other. It's drawback is that the seal can be easily destroyed. If someone scratches part of it off with a sword it will dissipate the magic in it."

"Right now we have to ensure Emmeryn's chances above all else," said Robin. "I'll be using the last bit of magic I can on this. That almost means that I won't be able to use my tome for this fight, as it will be depleted. I'll be counting on all of you to help me out more than usual." He placed his hand over the finished seal to release his magic onto it. The seal glowed red for an instance before going dull. Lastly, he carefully placed the rug back onto of it, making sure not the smear his work.

"You said you wanted me to use the sword some more, no?" He looked over at Lyn, smiling. He ignored the mental fatigue he was already feeling after using so much magic. "Now I have no other choice than doing so."

"This is not the way I hoped you would go about it," Lyn said, returning a halfheartedly smile, to which Robin responded only with a shrug.

With nothing more to say, the groups split up. Robin guided his group to the east side. For this battle, he would be pairing up with Lon'qu, Lyn would fight with Donnel and Tharja, and Lissa would be guarded by Frederick. The setup was less than ideal. Almost half of them were using swords. If they were to encounter lancers they would be in trouble. Then again, assassins weren't known to carry such burdensome weapons.

It didn't take long for them to encounter their first group of enemies. They had spread out somewhat, meaning that getting backup was out of the question. Lon'qu and him would have to deal with the axeman and the thief that they'd spotted. Both men unsheathed their swords and got ready for combat.

Fighting alongside Lon'qu was a good choice. Even when Robin struggled against their enemies, Lon'qu picked up that slack. Robin was able to parry all attacks coming his way with ease. All that training that Frederick had put him through had worked out. But the fatigue he felt made it hard to counterattack effectively. His sword did meet flesh, but the wounds it left behind were nothing grave enough to end the battle. At one point, the thief had snuk behind Robin and was about to strike. As Robin was turning to face him, he saw Lon'qu jumping in to defend him. He skillfully deflected the attack and slashed the enemy on the chest. That one was down.

"Keep your eyes open," Lon'qu scolded him. "You will die if you can't focus."

"I'll keep it mind," Robin said, half jokingly. "Thanks."

The two of them made quick work of the axeman that was left. With two going against one with weapons that were more effective, the battle was assured. There was no time to celebrate or even gather themselves. More enemies were coming their way. _I hope the others are having an easier time than us,_ the tactician thought.

One after the other, the enemies fell. The problem wasn't that they were getting injured or that the battle were too difficult. They were being overwhelmed by numbers. They were pushing them back, yes, but too slowly for Robin to feel comfortable.

Out of nowhere, a quick hit to his legs forced him to the ground. He landed on his butt, towered by a swordsman that had gotten to close. Lon'qu had been right. He'd been overthinking the situation and forgotten to focus on the fight in front of him. Now he was paying the price and his comrade was out of reach to help. Robin looked helplessly at the man as he swung his sword down…

But the hit never reached him. Instead, the man was cut in half. Robin's heart was racing to notice anything but the body that was at his feet. A hand was stretched in front of him. Without thinking, he grabbed it. His saviour pulled him up and their eyes met.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised to see you are involved in this, lord Mark."

From all the people that could've come to help, she wasn't to be expected. Her long blue hair, her white armor and cape, and her skill with a sword. Add the fact that she'd referred to him as Mark, and the answer was clear.

"Dame Isadora?!" He said her name. "What..? Did you come here with Lyn?"

"Lady Lyndis is here as well?" Isadora asked in surprise.

"Wait, you didn't know?" She shook her head. "Then-"

"Enough talk," Lon'qu said, cutting the conversation short. "Our mission is not done yet. We still need to fight."

"R-right!" Robin turned to look at Isadora. "I know it's not my place to ask, but, could you lend us your sword on this fight? We can talk more once this is all over."

"It will be my honor to fight with you once more, lord Mark." Isadora took a small bow. She was still the same woman from before, ever so diplomatic and formal, even if she was older than she was back then.

The two swordsmen and the paladin (although she didn't have her horse with her at the time,) fought side by side in an effort to cover more ground. Robin noted that, despite his "condition," Lon'qu wasn't having a problem fighting alongside Isadora. He'd seen it before too, during the fight for Donnel's village. It seemed like, when fighting, he doesn't mind females being around him. _Could it be that he's so focused on combat that he just forgets?_

Thier enemies fell as quick as they appeared. The process of parrying and then counterattacking repeated itself many times over until the enemies finally retreated. It could've been because the enemies were planning to fall back and attack from somewhere else or because someone was able to find and eliminated the enemy leader. Either way, Robin was satisfied.

"What should be done now?" Isadora asked. "The enemies have lost their will to fight. Do we give chase?"

"No, the royal guard and the Pegasus Knights can deal with them," Robin said. "We need to head back and regroup with the others. If we are lucky, the Exalt wasn't reached…"

There were no objection from Isadora or Lon'qu. The three of them headed back towards the throne room. The rest of the Shepherds were already there by the time they got back. Not only them, it seemed that Robin wasn't the only one bringing a new face with him. Lyn's eyes went wide when she spotted them. She rushed over to them.

"Isadora?!" She came to a stop in front of them. "Is that really you?"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Lyndis," Isadora responded, once more, giving a bow to the younger girl. "Lord Mark mentioned you being here. This encounter is a great one indeed."

"I'm glad to see you, truly! But, why are you here? Did Eliwood come with you? What of Lord Harken?"

"Settle down Lyn," Robin stepped in. "This is hardly the place to be discussing...matters like those." He tried to hint that he didn't want them to talk about the Elibe when the others were around. It would bring too many other questions, even if he too wanted to hear the answers Lyn was asking. "For now, let us introduce her to Chrom. Once things settle down we can talk more privately."

"Very well," said Isadora. Both her and Lyn followed Robin towards the group gathered around Chrom.

"Ah, you are back," Chrom said as he turned to face the approaching trio. "And I see you've brought a new ally…?"

"And it seems I wasn't the only one," he looked at both a thief-looking man and at… Was that flesh she was wearing on the braids?! She also had what looked like fur on her shoulders and wrists. Maybe the fur that covered her bottom half was also not just a piece of clothing.

He pushed those thought aside, as he caught himself staring too much at the other woman. Coughing into his fist, he tried to recover some of his dignity. "This is L- Isadora. She is an old friend of Lyn's and mine." He turned to look at Isadora. "The man with blue hair is prince Chrom. His sister, the girl in the yellow dress, is his younger sister, princess Lissa. The man in armor is Sir Frederick. The woman in armor is captain Phila, of the Pegasus Knights. Then we have Lady Emmeryn, Exalt of the Halidom of Ylisse, and older sister to both Chrom and Lissa. As for the others… They are new faces to me too."

"It's an honor to meet you all," said Isadora, to which the rest responded equally.

"Isadora saved me back there," Robin continued. "I'm sure she'll make a good addition to our numbers.

"Having one more with us will be great," Chrom said, satisfied. "Let me also introduce to you these two. The thief's name is Gaius. I was able to convince him to come to our side."

"How you do, Bubbles?" Gaius said nonchalantly.

"Bubbles?" Robin repeated questionably. They'd only just met and now he had a weird nickname…

Emmeryn turned to look at the last of the new people on the group, the woman that wore weird purple-esque armor. "Brave taguel, you have my gratitude towards your actions on this night."

"Oh, so you are a taguel," Robin said. _That explains the fur and the flesh...or rather, the ears._ "I've heard and read many things about taguel. This is the first time seeing one in the flesh."

"That comes to as no surprise," the taguel said in a very serious tone. "I am the last taguel."

"The last…?"

"We were hunted to the verge of extinction during the last war. Back then, you man-spawn simply called us "beast" or "coney."" She turned to look at Emmeryn. "I've only helped because there was an debt to pay between my warren and Ylisse. Nothing else. Do not presume us to be friends, you and I!"

"I-is there a problem here?" The taguel turned her attention towards Robin this time.

"It was man-spawn like you that invaded our warren and slaughtered my people with no other reason than to "purge" our kind from our lands."

"What?!" Emmeryn was in shock at hearing of this. "Is this true? Who would do such a thing?"

"Your acting is not needed nor appreciated. You man-spawn are all the same. You claim to seek peace-you reach out an open hand only to attack with the other. You would kill and destroy anything and anyone you do not understand-even each other-for your own selfish reasons. The last war should act as proof of that."

Part of Robin wanted to interfere-to defend Emmeryn. What the taguel was saying was true. There was no denying that. But still, those were harsh words to throw out so simply, even if she was still in pain… Then again, her position was nothing like his own. He couldn't pretend to understand what she'd gone through.

"You speak the truth," Emmeryn said, her eyes closed and her chin down. "Mankind should have learned so much from your warren. As I understand, in taguel society everyone is treated as an equal. I know that this may come to you too late, but I am deeply sorry for the suffering your people were put through. We have stolen your friends and family and made the world a lesser place because of it."

"Your Grace-you have done nothing wrong," Phila said in concern. "What happened to the taguel-you had no hand in it!"

"The words from someone that claims to be not part of what happened have no meaning," the taguel said.

"I...understand," Emmeryn said. "But they are all I have." There was a moment of silence until the taguel finally spoke up.

"I can see that your words are sincere, man-spawn. You see my pain and bear it as your own. This is the first time I've seen one of your kind do such a thing. As I am, I will never trust mankind. But you… Perhaps you I can trust."

Emmeryn smiled warmly at her. "If you would give us the chance to earn your trust, we will show you that not all of us seek to destroy." The other nodded. "May I ask your name?"

"I am Panne."

Everyone looked satisfied with the turn of events. The tension that had built up evaporated in an instant. Unfortunately, there were other matters to discuss.

"Lyn, could you take Gaius, Panne, and Isadora and introduce them to the others?" Robin asked.

"Oh, I'll go too," Lissa jumped in, a little too excited. "It'll go faster if there's two of us, right Lyn?"

Robin could feel some ulterior motive, but didn't question the princess about it. Although, deep down, he felt like he would pay for that later on.

"Okay, leave it to us," said Lyn. The group of five split off, making their way towards the rest of the Shepherds. That only left Chrom, Emmeryn, Frederick, Phila, and Robin.

"Captain Phila, were the retreating enemy troops taken care of?" Robin asked.

"Yes, they took out the ones that were on this side of the wall," said Phila. "However, some of the ones that were trying to get inside disappeared into the night. I have the Pegasus Knights searching far and wide into the city looking for them." She then turned to look at Chrom, her spirits down. "I beg your forgiveness, milord," she exclaimed in shame. "I have failed in my duty. They should have never made it this far into the castle. Let alone the city!"

"Peace, Phila," said Chrom. "No one could have predicted they would make a move this early. The only reason we found out about it was because of Marth."

Emmeryn looked at her younger brother. "Is this the same Marth that saved Lissa when the Risen first appeared?" Chrom nodded. "We truly have a debt to repay to him."

"It's "her," actually. But more importantly, Robin, where is she?"

"Hmm…" Robin looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the girl. "An excellent question. She was here a moment ago…"

"Not again!"

"She keeps appearing and vanishing at the strangest times. First during the first Risen attack, then at Arena Ferox, and lastly here. It proves that what she said was true."

"Do you really believe that?"

"The evidence is in her favor. Until proven otherwise, I'm inclined to believe her."

"I'll go look for her. The rest of you should head back to the Shepherd's garrison. It'll be easier to protect given it's size."

"Milord, wouldn't it be better to leave the city tonight?" Frederick asked. "We should put as much ground between us and the enemy as we can."

"We are all exhausted to go on the march," Robin said. "Phila said that they still haven't found all the assassins that escaped. If they were to attack us in the open, gods know what could happen. We need to regain our strength. I am at my limit as it is. One more fight can mean the end of us."

"Robin is right," Chrom agreed. "Three fights in a single day is more than a normal army would see during war. We can't risk it-not when we have to protect Emmeryn. We'll leave in the morning. I'll go arrange for horses and wagon to carry any supplies we might need. The rest of you, go get some rest."

Frederick was forced to give in. Chrom left, but something told Robin that the prince wanted to talk to someone else that wasn't there. The question was if he would find her.

"I would like to thank you, Robin," Emmeryn's voice brought Robin back to reality.

"Your Grace?"

"You've proven yourself to be a valuable ally to us in this time of need, even when there are still some that will question your allegiance. Thanks to your effort, we didn't suffer any casualties yet again. I feel reasure to know you will travel with Chrom and Lissa. I know you can keep them safe."

"I'm...honored by your words, Your Grace… But I can't take credit for this fight. My usual tactics didn't serve for much-"

"You may have done more than you think. Please, think more highly about your accomplishments."

Those who remained rejoined the rest of the Shepherds and then went to the barracks for some much needed rest. With their added numbers, including Emmeryn and Phila, most would be forced to share rooms. Robin insisted on having the Exalt and her bodyguard take his own, as it still sat practically untouched since he received it. He would have to sleep in the practice area. Not that he was complaining. He was used to sleeping on the ground. Plus, he had a pillow with him this time!

Going to sleep was still something that he had to do later on. There were still things that had to be discussed regarding a certain otherworlder's appearance. It just so happened that the two people he wanted to talk to were sharing a room. He stepped up to the door a knocked as lightly as possible. If they were already sleeping, he didn't want to wake them up. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Lyn opened the door and, after noticing it was him, let him come in.

"Sorry to disturb you both, but I think there are matters we should discuss before going further," Robin said. "Have a seat." The two women sat on the bed while Robin pulled a chair from under the clean desk and sat down across from them.

Isadora stared intantly at Robin before speaking up. "Lord Mark," she said. "Except for your garments, you look exactly the same as when we traveled together. Is that due to magic? Or is this world much easier on people?" Lyn's giggle was heard, despite her attempt of hiding it.

Robin rubbed his face. Even when he'd (somewhat) explained the situation to Lyn before, this would be much harder. Lyn easily trusted others. Well, maybe just him. But someone like Isadora was a completely different matter. Robin tried to the best of his ability to explain how it was that he remained the same age even after the rest of the people back in Elibe continued to age. He also told her the made-up story that he'd come up with that explained how Lyn and him had met in their current world.

"That is...a complex story," Isadora confessed. "I'm not sure I follow correctly, but I believe what you say to be true."

"Thank the gods," Robin muttered before letting out a sigh in relief. "I'm more interested in knowing what's brought you here. Lyn told me she came here alone."

"That's right," Lyn said. "I never mentioned anything to Eliwood. Did he come with you?" Isadora shook her head.

"No, the Marquess wasn't aware of my mission when I left Pherae. I was under orders of Lady Eleanora after Matthew revealed a piece of information regarding the Black Fang."

Robin's heart stopped at the reveal. The Black Fang was something he would never want to hear about again. Not after they'd fought against them so much. "But the Black Fang dissolved after we defeated Nergal, didn't it?" Robin asked.

"That what we all believed… Despite what we first thought, it appears that some members shared Nergal's ultimate goal of bringing dragons into the world."

"But how does that connect to this world, exactly?" Lyn ask.

"I can't say for sure. All we know is that across the cave lays a dragon that can destroy worlds."

Lyn turned to look at Robin. "Is there such a dragon here?"

"Yes…" Robin confirmed. "Although he was defeated over a thousand years ago; Grima, the Fell Dragon is the only one that fits that description. But Grima is a god! There is no way to control such a being. Even if they were successful in resurrecting him, who's to say that it would do their bidding?"

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you, lord Mark," Isadora said. "But there was more to it than that."

"Let me hear it then."

"Word has it that _you_ share the blood of dragons. With that, the Black Fang must think that they can control this Grima you speak of."

"Blood of the dragon…? Me? That's golden!" Robin laughed out loud, much to the surprise of both ladies. "They must be insane to think such a thing! I was raised by farmers! If I truly held the blood of dragon within me, in this world, that would make me a king from some land or other. You've both met the royals of the Halidom of Ylisstol, yes? Their bloodline is blessed by Naga, the Divine Dragon. You see where I am going with this?"

Isadora looked reassured by his words. She too giggled after considering all the facts. "I does seem far fetched. But it doesn't change the fact that your life could be in danger.

"When I heard rumors about a mysterious tactician leading a militia from victory to victory without a single death, I knew it had to be you. That' why I was there in the palace when the attack happened. And if I was able to track you down, then the Black Fang will do the same."

"Then should we go into hiding?" Lyn said, worried about the life of her old friend.

"No, that isn't an option," said Robin. "We are in the middle of a war where I am the tactician for one side. I can't abandon this people. Not now."

"So then what should we do?"

"We continue on with the Shepherds. If the Black Fang attacks, we'll find safety in numbers…" Lyn and Isadora both nodded. "Oh, by the way Lyn, I remember you mentioning something about a man that had a way to find me. You'd also mentioned that he showed you my robe and a scroll that you couldn't read."

"Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten about it." The green-haired woman stood up and walked up to a chest. Inside it, there was a small bag with the few possessions that she carried with her. From it she took out the mentioned scroll. Once she handed it to Robin, she took returned to seat on the bed.

Robin stared at the scroll. It had an odd feel to it. He undid the fastener and unrolled it to see what was written on it. The language wasn't something he recognized, but, somehow, he felt like he could still understand what was written on it.

"I don't remember ever seeing you with a scroll like that in the past. When I saw your robe, I didn't question if it belonged to you or not. I just took it with me."

"You and me both," Robin confessed. "If I ever had something like this with me, I can't remember it… It could be a clue to what's going on. I'll have to take a look in detail in the future." He rolled up the scroll and placed it in one of the inside pockets of his purple robe before standing up and walking to the door. "We can talk more tomorrow," he said.

When he tried to open the door, he heard a small yelp come from the other side. Lissa laid on the floor, rubbing her forehead. The girl had to be pretty close to the door if she got hit. The thought crossed Robin's mind. _Did she hear everything we talked about?_

"Um, Lissa, what were you-"

"Chrom asked me to that the preparations were set for tomorrow," the princes said as she rapidly stood up. "And the time that we are departing. Well, I'll be on my way now. Good night!" Before he knew it, the girl was gone. A small trail of dust picking up after her feet.

"Wait! You didn't tell me the time!" He never got the response. He could feel some bile forming in the back of his throat. "That can't be good."

* * *

Bringing in a big original plot into the mix. I have some pretty good ideas of how things will turn out. You can all look forward to that! There are still some things I want to figure out about it, but I have a ton of time for that.

Also, second FE7 character shows up!

Let me know what you thought of the chapter by leaving a review, and clicking follow and/or favorite on the story. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

 **HD Shoryu** -Thanks a lot! I'm trying to fill any and all loops that might exist after making Mark and Robin be the same person. I'm having some fun with it, so it's all goood. Right now, the characters may refer to Elibe and Ylisse as two different worlds, but that's just what they think. It may turn out to be the case, or maybe not. Who knows! And I see where you going with that~ All I'll say is that there are more characters to come, but not _all_ characters from FE7 will show up.

 **werehogdog** -The overall story lines won't change too drastically, but as you can see from this chapter, there will be additional stuff to all of them. I hope that you still like it, though. Thanks for your kind words!


	11. And so it happened

Big delay on this one. I'm sorry! I wrote the chapter last week, but I wasn't too satisfied with it because I felt like there was a big chunk of missed time. So, I did the only thing that any rational man would've done. I deleted what I had and started from scratch! This time I _way_ more satisfied with what I have.

Let me know what you guys think by leaving a review! Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really liked it. Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 11: And so it happened_

Suffice to say, Robin got little sleep the night before their departure. After the incident with Lissa, he'd tried looking for her to no avail. She had the advantage of knowing the barracks more thoroughly than he did. If there was a place that she could hide, it would be impossible for him to find her. The tired tactician spend over an hour looking for the princess before giving up at last. Letting out a sigh in defeat, he returned to his own room to try and get some rest.

He was exhausted. The day had kept him too busy. Why, oh, why did Lissa have to run away like that? It put him on edge. He already had much more to deal with. Adding to possibility of the princess telling Chrom, or anyone else for that matter, about what he'd been discussing with Lyn and Isadora was just too much. They were at war-trying to protect the Exalt-with his homeland, he had to come up with tactics to keep everyone safe. Then there was the Black Fang. Oh, how he wished that was all just paranoid speculation from the lords in Elibe. Gods knew that there always needed to be an enemy for there to be some peace…

It felt like only minutes had passed when a sound at the door woke him from his slumber. Groaning in acknowledgement, the door was open by Frederick, who looked disapprovingly at him as if he was a child that had overslept on a school day. Robin didn't stayed put on the bed, but he kept an eye on the knight.

"You are late, Robin," Frederick said. "Chrom and the Exalt have been waiting for you for some time now."

"They have?" Robin asked, confused about the reason why that would be.

Frederick closed his eyes in an attempt to maintain his composure, though it was obvious that he was ticked off by Robin's stupid question. "Yes. Lady Lissa was to speak to you yesterday about it."

Damn that Lissa! He just remembered that the girl ran away before she even gave him all the information she was supposed to. Finally, the Plegian sat up. He wasn't as tired as he was the night before, but he could always use some more sleep. That, however, was something they couldn't spare. To wake himself up completely, he did something he used to do when he was younger. A quick, simultaneous slap to both of his cheeks. The sting that was left behind was enough for his brain to spring into action.

He apologized for the delay and finally got off of bed, stretching his back and arms. "Sorry about that," he told the knight as he walked towards where his robe laid. "Lissa looked tired yesterday. She only told me that the preparations were ready. She left before I even got a chance to ask her anything else," he spoke in half truths. Getting the girl in trouble would only put _him_ in a worse position to get a chance to talk to her.

"Let us go and meet with them. I don't want to keep the rest waiting any more than they already have."

"Very well," Frederick said, pleased (enough) with the response. "I shall take you to them."

Robin followed the knight through the hallways. He noticed that there was a lack of noise that you would expect to hear when there are so many soldiers around-the sound of chatter, armor moving around, and supplies being gathered. It was rather unsettling. This eerie silence continued until they got closer to the training grounds. From that direction, he could hear the familiar voices of Chrom, Emmeryn, and Lissa. By the bits of conversation he could make out, they were discussing if there was anything else they should take from the palace on their journey.

Their conversation stopped when Frederick and Robin entered the area. The three of them were sitting at a small, circular table set in the middle of the grounds. And just behind Emmeryn, as always, stood the proud captain of the Pegasus Knights, Phila. Chrom and Emmeryn both threw a smile his way, which Robin returned with the smallest of waves. But Lissa, she looked nervous.

That on itself made him nervous as well. Just because they'd been talking about something that wasn't of importance when he got there didn't mean that they hadn't discussed other matters beforehand. Robin swallowed hard, trying to keep himself as calm and collected as he could.

"Good morning to you, Robin," said Emmeryn, still with a smile across her lips. "I thank you for joining us at this hour."

"All that bear meat you like so much has turned you into one," teased Chrom. "To have Frederick wake you up, you had to be out."

"I still lack the fur _and_ the fat to be called a bear," said Robin, frowning all the while.

"Give it some time, you could get both." Chrom laughed at his own joke. "But I should say, I was surprised you weren't here even earlier than the rest of us."

"Ah, yes, you see… Th-"

"I-I'll go start waking the others," Lissa said. It was her turn to get looks from the rest. Her little outburst was enough to have the others question her actions. She must've known that too, seeing as she bolted out of there as quick as someone as short as her wearing such a constrictive dress would allow it.

From their expressions of surprise, Robin could tell that they didn't know the reason for her actions. That was good news to him. Well, good and bad. She hadn't told them, that was clear now. The problem was that if she was going to avoid him like that, even when surrounded by other people, it would make it impossible to sit down and talk to clear things out.

Robin let out a long sigh.

"Is everything okay?" Chrom asked.

Robin dismissed it, saying that he was still a little tired and jokingly said that he could use a lot more sleep. He ended up taking the seat that was set for him, just across the one that Lissa had been using just moments before. As for Frederick, he took his place standing behind Chrom, just like Phila. Those two were too similar…

"I was expecting the rest of the Shepherds to be up and about when Frederick told me I had been keeping you guys waiting," Robin admitted. "Is there something we need to discuss?" Chrom and Emmeryn exchanged a look, making Robin think that the siblings shared some sort of secret language.

"Lissa didn't tell you much, did she?" Chrom finally asked, to which Robin shook his head. "Figures. In any case, we would like to talk with you about a few things." He produced a scroll from beneath and table and opened it up on the table. It was a map of Ylisse. Major roads, towns, and cities were all marked on it. Robin looked at it, intrigued at the attention to detail that had been put into it. "First, there's been a change of plans. Instead of going to Regna Ferox, we'll be going to the eastern palace." Chrom pointed out the route they would be taken with his finger. "We've decided that having Emmeryn travel outside the Halidom could cause panic amongst our people. Therefore, we'll move her in secrecy along with a select few of Phila's knights."

Robin rubbed at the stubble that had been forming on his chin for days now. This was the first time he'd heard of this eastern palace existence. He wasn't very knowledgeable of geography outside of Plegia, so it didn't come to him as a surprise. "If the map is correct, it looks like a very defensible position. Having it so far from the border is an advantage. We can go to Ferox and then fight any enemy forces heading east. If we can make a perimeter from the Wall to the sea, we can then push them west and back to Plegia." This time Robin was the one pointing at the map as he spoke of his plan.

"Not many know of the eastern palace outside of a select few nobles of the court," Frederick mentioned. "It should keep the Exalt out of harm's way."

"Agreed," said Chrom before turning to look at Robin once more. "If we follow your plan, how long would it take to drive out the Plegian army?"

Robin sighed and crossed his arms as he leaned back on his chair. "That's...tough to predict. We don't know how many soldiers Gangrel will be able to come up with during his campaign. Even before I came here, the Plegian army was surrounded by secrecy. Also, we only have the Shepherds right now. That's twenty one bodies, including the new arrivals-Dame Isadora, Panne, and Gaius. Assuming Khan Flavia can spare the troops, we could be up to a few hundred, maybe a few thousand if we are lucky. Meanwhile, Gangrel could have upwards of fifty thousand. And if the war continues, his number could increase faster than we can defeat them…

With all that in mind, there have been many battles throughout history were the smaller army overwhelms the large one. All we need is to attack strategic locations."

Robin noticed that Chrom was in agreement, but Emmeryn looked unsettled.

"Such losses...even if they are our enemies, such loss of life is unfathomable," said Emmeryn. "If what you say comes to be, then we will have a war in the same scale as the crusade our father started."

"There is another option." Emmeryn perked up at hearing this, looking at Robin with her full attention. "If we gather an elite force, we could try cutting through and going directly for Gangrel instead. This has its pros and cons, however. The war can end that much sooner... _if_ we kill the Mad King. On the other hand, we would be leaving the people from villages unprotected, unless we can station soldiers to defend them."

"Managing a smaller force would be easier, no?" Chrom asked. "If the elite force you mentioned can break way, we could have the rest of our forces follow behind and station them along the way."

"Both objectives could be achieved that way," Emmeryn said, much more pleased with the idea.

"Seems like you have a knack on war too, my friend."

"War is just a constant battle in a much bigger scale," said Robin. But the reason he was comfortable talking about it and giving these ideas was because he'd done it before-in Elibe. Yet, this felt much more different, somehow. Maybe it was because this _felt_ real. Or maybe it had to do with who he was fighting against. Either way, he knew this war was nothing like fighting against the Black Fang.

"Your Grace," Phila said. "Preparations are complete. We should make haste and leave the city before the morning crowd blocks the streets."

"You are right, Phila," said Emmeryn. "But I would like to give Robin that _something_ we brought with us before we do so."

"Your Grace?" Robin was confused. They were going to give him something? He started thinking that it could be clothes. He'd mentioned a few times in the past that he didn't have any apart from the ones he would wear (he would wash them, when possible, at night to keep them from looking grimy and stinking.) He had no reason to deny anything. Unless this something was too cumbersome. Then he would have to think twice about it.

Phila approached him, holding onto a bag. She set it down in front of him to present it. "The Exalt had us look for these last night." she explained. "I'm sure they will be to your liking."

Robin untied the knot that kept the bag closed and emptied its contents. They were books. About a dozen of them varying in sizes. Some of them looked new while others looked like they could be decades if not centuries old. He eyed them carefully, handling as if they were made out of glass and could break at any moment. Emmeryn giggled, amused at his reaction.

"These are all texts written by the Halidom's past tacticians," Emmeryn said. "Don't be fooled. Even the newer ones are reprints of books that have been around for centuries. Others are ones that can only be found in the royal library."

Robin's eyes went wide. In his surprise, he fumbled with the book he was holding. "I-I don't know what to say… I'm very thankful, Your Grace. Truly. But...are you sure you would want me to have these? It sounds to me like they are irreplaceable treasures."

"Books are meant to be read, Robin. And for the service you've done for our house in the short time you came to us, I can say that there is no one more deserving than you."

"Take them, Robin," Chrom chimed in. "It's like Emm says: they'll do much more good in your hands than just sitting in a corner of the library. Besides, you might just find a strategy in there to save all of us in the future."

Robin smiled, finally giving in. "You have my thanks. Both of you."

With the business settled, Frederick reminded them once more that they should get going. After Robin placed all the books back in the bag, he followed along Chrom and Emmeryn towards the stables. Lissa had already gathered everyone there. They all looked refreshed after getting a well deserved night's rest. It looked like their new additions were doing well in mingling with the rest of the Shepherds. The thief, Gaius, was talking with Vaike and Stah about something amusing, going from the laughs they were sharing. Isadora was with Lyn, Sumia, and Sully. The redhead knight was trying to prevent Virion from presumably hitting on the new knight, much to the amusement of Lyn. And then there was Panne… The taguel, while in close proximity to some of the others, wasn't part of any conversation going on. Instead, she was looking at some of the horses that had been prepared for them.

Speaking of horses, how had Isadora brought her horse with her? The white steed with golden mane stood out from the rest. Back in Elibe, Robin had been surprised to see such a horse, but dismissed it soon after. It was all a dream, after all. Now, the horse was something to behold. Much like its owner, it bore armor, although this a much lighter equivalent than the paladin's. Panne had taken note of the horse too. She was eyeing it as if they could communicate.

Robin decided that he should talk with her later on, when they got the chance. Taguel were intriguing to him. He knew very little about them. Chances were that even that that he thought was true about them could be erroneous. A human writing about another species could get so many things wrong.

"Listen up, everyone," Chrom called to attention. All chatter stopped. All of them then turned to look at their leader. "We are heading east before going to Ferox. We will be escorting Emmeryn to the eastern palace with the help of Phila and her Pegasus Knights. It should take no more than two days to get there. We will only stop twice per day. Once to have lunch and let the horses rest, and again at night to make camp.

"Make sure you've brought everything you'll need during this trip. Weapons, armor, and vulneraries are already on one of the two wagons we will be taking. Any personal items you will carry with you. Understood?"

Everyone agreed in unison.

"Alright then. Let's move out."

Chrom had made good preparations for their departure. Not only were the carts full of supplies as he'd mentioned before, but they were also being pulled by two horses each instead of a single one like it had been the case when they first went to Regna Ferox. Also, more of them would be taking horses too. The role of drivers would fall on Robin and on Vaike, as they'd proven they were capable of handling them.

They set off soon after. The line of men moved swiftly through the city. Before the sun was even completely in view, they had made it out of Ylisstol. Robin took one last look back at the capital. This would be the last chance he would have to see it for a while. And when he next were to see it, there was no guarantee that it would be in the same shape as it stood then.

The column of horses and pegasi was a sight to behold. Some travelers along the road stared at the group as they moved east. They were making good ground. Whoever chose the route had done a good job investigating it. The ride was smooth as if one were riding in a town. This was the reason why they were able to travel that much faster.

Riding the wagon would've been much better if the sun wasn't on his eyes most of the time. His hood up protected him just barely. He couldn't wait for the hot sphere in the sky to rise up more so that he wouldn't have to squirt all the time. Still, it wasn't all that bad. At the very least, he had some company with him. Donnel, Tharja, and Gaius were all riding on the back. If he needed to talk, he could always just start a conversation with them.

Vaike had gotten the shorter end of the stick with the passengers, getting Virion, Miriel, and supposedly Kellam. Even if the axeman wasn't all that friendly towards Robin, he still felt bad for the blonde.

"So, Bubbles," Gaius suddenly said. "What's the deal with you and Princess?"

Robin looked back at the man. He didn't know where to begin with what he'd heard. "Am I supposed to be this "Bubbles" you speak of?" Robin asked. Where had that even come from? What sort of nickname was that?

"Yep."

That was the only response he got back. "I would rather you call me by my name… It's Robin, by the way."

"It's just a nickname. I give 'em to everyone. Don't let it bother you too much."

That was hardly a valid point. Not that he would bother discussing it further. It wasn't worth it. "What makes you think that there is something going on between me and Lissa?"

"She's been avoiding you all morning, no? I noticed her get all quiet when you guys came to the stables. She was a little nervous, even."

"Are you insinuating that Master Robin would do anything to that girl?" Tharja's tone could only be described as threatening. Internally, Robin wanted to thank Tharja. She was a good friend. But, she could be a little too much to handle. If he didn't intervene at the right moment to defuse the situation, someone would get hexed.

"Shucks, ma'am," Donnel said nervously. "I don't think Gaius 'ere meant no trouble."

"You shut it, boy."

"Woah, woah, calm down, Sunshine," Gaius said, still trying to remain cool. "I was just saying something I saw. I wasn't accusing anyone of anything."

"It's alright, Tharja," Robin finally said. "No need for anyone to get hurt. It was just an innocent question." His words were enough for the black mage to calm down. She settled back onto her seat and looked the other way, avoiding any eye contact from Robin, who then turned to look towards the road.

Gaius leaned close to Robin, his head just a few inches away from the tactician. With a hand on Robin's shoulder and another covering his lips, he said, "what's with all that "Master" stuff?"

Robin looked at the thief for a second. The best response he could come up with was to shrug. It was just enough to have Gaius back off on _that_ subject.

"Well then. You gonna answer my first question, or what?"

Robin sighed in frustration. He too wanted to know the real answer to that. "I have no idea. Last night, as I was coming out of a friends room, I bumped into her. She just ran away from me. She's been like that since."

"I see." Gaius nodded as he held his chin in a thoughtful manner. He then perked up. And idea must've popped into his mind. "You don't want things to be awkward between you two, right? Why don't I find out for you, Bubbles? I work as a thief, but gathering information comes with the territory."

"You would do that? I-"

"Not for free! You gotta sweeten the deal!"

How could he do that? He had nothing to offer for the man's services. He'd yet to receive any pay for his position as tactician. The few possessions he had were either worthless or too precious for him to just give away. "What did you have in mind?"

A grin spread across the thief's face. "I get your desserts for the next two days, and then for another two days after I find out what's on her mind."

He _literally_ meant "sweeten the deal"? What an odd fellow. Desserts were always good to have. They could be a highlight to a good day. In comparison to the information he could receive, they were worthless. "Okay, but I want to put up a condition too. If you don't find out what it is before we enter Plegia, then you'll have to give me one of _your_ desserts as reimbursement."

"Fine by me. I'm not gonna fail anyways. But if you put it like that, then I want THREE desserts after the deal is complete."

What was one extra dessert in the face of knowledge? "You got a deal." The two men, satisfied, shook hands to seal the verbal agreement. All Robin could hope for was that Gaius would be successful.

Some time passed before Chrom decided to take the first break of the day. The caravan stopped, moving off the road. Frederick gave orders to all of them on what they should and could do for the time being. Sumia, Stahl, and Ricken were in charge of preparing lunch. Kellam, Vaike, Virion, and Sully would be going ahead to check the road to make sure it was clear of enemies while lunch was being made. The rest were told to stay close by, in case there was a surprise attack of any sort.

Robin felt strange. This was the first time in a long time that he didn't have any pressing matters to attend to. Chrom was already heading to Emmeryn's carriage along with Maribelle. It seemed like Lissa was with the Exalt as well, which explained why he hadn't seen her at all during since they left the capital. Frederick hadn't ordered him to train any more with the sword, thankfully. That meant he had free time… Having nothing to do was boring, Robin concluded.

"-ord Mark," came a voice from his left. "Lord Mark?" The voice repeated. He turned to look at the owner of the familiar voice. He smiled to see that it was Isadora, with Lyn joining them just a moment after. From their expression, there was something on their mind.

"Isadora, my apologies," he said, rubbing the back of his neck out of embarrassment after being caught just staring into the distance. "I've had much to think about for the past few days that now that I have a break, my mind blanked out." Truly, he was glad that he'd been snapped out of it. Making a fool of himself wouldn't get him much credit as the tactician. Also, being able to talk with someone instead of dealing with whatever nonsense he would think was much better for his sanity.

"That's very unlike you, Mark," said Lyn, staring at him with a worried face. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Robin tried to dismissed her worry with a smile and a wave. "Yes, nothing to worry about here. Just a little on edge, that's all."

Isadora offered a small nod-and-smile combo in understanding. "Is it because of the event with the princess, mayhaps?"

"I won't deny it. That's part of it, yes."Looking straight ahead, Robin let out a long sigh. It felt like he'd been doing that more often as of late. "My life has somehow turned much more complicated than it was just a few weeks ago. Not that those days were much better… We all knew that another war between Plegia and Ylisse was inevitable, but I didn't want to see it coming for a long time."

"My Lord?" Robin's eyes widened. Had she been calling him "Lord" since she'd joined them?! What if someone else heard her? It was hard enough to pull off the whole Mark thing. Being called Lord by a knight was just too much. And Lyn didn't even looked bother by it either! Robin cringed at his own late realization.

"Isadora, just call me Mark or Robin," he told her. "I know that Eliwood gave me the title-so did Hector-but still. Being called Lord doesn't suit me. Besides, it's hard enough already with people getting weird ideas when Tharja calls me Master…"

"Is something wrong with calling another "Master"? I called Legault Master during our travels before."

That was something he'd forgotten. Back then, no one turned an eye to either Legault or Isadora when she called him like that. Yet, the Shepherds always gave him weird looks when Tharja called him that. What the hell?

"As a knight of house Pherae, and steward to Lady Eleanora, I must abide by the word of the Marqu-"

"Aaaaaaah!" Robin quickly interrupted. That stunned both Isadora and Lyn. He hadn't meant to interrupt the knight. It was just that Donnel and Frederick had walked near them. He couldn't let anyone hear what Isadora was about to say.

Only when everyone else was out of earshot did he continue. "This is a personal request, Isadora. I _beg_ you. Just call me Robin or Mark." The knight had always adhered to the code too closely. That made her a perfect knight, but at times, it could be hard to deal with her on smaller matters. He had to appeal to her polite side, ironically, in hopes that she would understand the request. "Actually, don't speak of anything having to do with Elibe, for that matter. It would be best to keep that to ourselves for the time being.

"I…" _Please, please PLEASE!_ "Understand. I must apologize for any inconveniences I may have caused you...Mark."

Robin was able to relax, somewhat. Isadora wasn't one to go back on her word or even make small slips. He knew that she wouldn't let anyone else hear about the things they'd discussed since her arrival. On the other hand, a certain long haired greenette was likely to say something she shouldn't. Her clothes might've changed-she still wore a similar outfit that revealed her long, slender legs, though this time it was blue instead of aqua-green, but she also now wore a red sash that wrapped around her midsection several times, and on top of that a long, black coat that had some sort of fur on the neck-but he doubted that she'd gotten any better at lying.

From the time he'd spent in Elibe, he'd learned over time that lying was impossible for Lyn. It made him wonder if she could do lies by omissions, but he wouldn't be testing that out. He _wanted_ to trust her, but still had to keep a close eye on her.

"I appreciate it," he finally said, after realizing he'd been staring at Lyn for some time without reason. His cheeks flushed for all but a second before the blood dissipated. "What brings you two here, by the way? I'm assuming there was something on your minds."

"Ah, yes. Although I suspect that you've given me the answer to it already. We were talking, and were curious to know what you thought about the possibility of...briefing some of the members of this party about _our_ current situation."

To say that he hadn't considered it before would be a lie. The first few days after Lyn had joined them, he'd thought about talking with Chrom about it. The man was reasonable and the both of them got along enough that he wouldn't entirely dismiss the idea. If they could somehow convince the others that they were telling the truth, then they could gain trust and valuable allies on their own secret battle, if he could even call it that-there was still no evidence that the Black Fang was really in Ylisse. However, the situation wasn't the same as it had been back then. They were already trying to handle a war with terrible odds on their side. There was also the fact that Chrom had already shown doubts about Marth's abilities of foresight. It that was too much to believe, then talking about travel between worlds, something he'd somehow done before through a _dream_ -was plain unrealistic.

He had to speak truthfully to them. "The only one I would dare tell would be Chrom. He'd proven to be a good and reliable friend. But he is too skeptical to believe any of it. Besides, with war at our doorstep, he has his people and his family to think about before anything else. It's bad enough for him to have to deal with King Gangrel's men. Add to it _their_ forces and you'll get a catastrophe.

"No, our best bet for the time being is to deal with this war swiftly before dealing with our own problems. Only then will we be able to start looking into it."

"I admire your sense of duty, Mark," Isabella said, sounding not all that satisfied with the answer.

"Yeah, well, I think I got it after traveling with all of you before."

The trio didn't get a chance to talk about anything else. Sumia approached them to inform them that lunch was ready and that they should head to get their share. After thanking the brunette, they headed towards the newly formed line of people waiting to get some of the food themselves.

Lunch was awkward, as Lissa had finally decided to come out of hiding to join them. It seemed that Emmeryn, Chrom, and/or Maribelle had forced the girl to come out of the carriage. What made it awkward was that Robin noticed a few times that she would throw a glance at him, Lyn, or Isadora every so often. Whatever it was that was bothering the princess, it had to be a big deal.

There was no chance for him to talk to her. When they were all done with their meal, she hurried out of sight again. _Of course she would_ , he thought. There was no point in trying to follow after her. Robin decided that the best course of action would be to give the girl some time and space. Hopeful that time would make her calm down, he decided that he would take a look at one of the books Emmeryn had given to him instead. A little studying never killed anyone. He would have the time to read a few chapters. The forward party had just returned by the time the rest of them finished eating. They would have to eat too before they continued on towards the eastern palace.

He found the perfect spot near some trees a few meters away from where they'd left the wagons. The combination of the shade and the slight breeze made for a peaceful scene. There was a fallen log just beneath one of the trees, which Robin used as his sit. It wasn't the most comfortable of chairs, but it would do.

A few pages in, he saw Sumia walking over in his direction, tripping a couple of time on what he could swear was flat ground. The girl was a klutz. He feared that she would cause herself more damage than enemies would in battle. It was a good think that she would fight atop of her pegasus. If that were not the case, he would have to keep four or five other Shepherds with her at all times to prevent her from falling onto an enemy's' sword (yes, her falling on the sword; not the enemy hitting her.)

"Are you alright, Sumia?" Robin asked out of concern. "You look agitated."

"Oh, Robin. Hello," the girl answered, smiling. "I'm fine. I was just looking for a place to-" She stared at the book Robin was currently holding, her lips slightly parting. It was only when Robin arched an eyebrow that she continued. "Ah, I'm so sorry. It's just...I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all." He placed a piece of leather-one that he'd ripped from his waterskin as it was loose-as a bookmark and then closed the book. "Would you like to take a seat?"

Sumia looked a lot more cheerful. After cleaning a spot, she sat down. "I didn't know you liked to read."

"I hardly have the time to do so or any books, for that matter. Emmeryn was kind enough to gift me we some this morning before we left the garrison."

"I see! There aren't that many Shepherds that read much. Except for Miriel. She reads all the time. But I can't ever talk to her about it. The last time I tried, she talked about a very complicated book about forgotten languages, I think she called it."

Robin chuckled, imagining both girls trying to talk about such a subject. "I can see why you stopped trying. Although, the books I do have aren't too different from hers. They are books of strategy. I used to read novels when I was younger. Haven't done so in a long time."

"A-ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drag your past out in the open," Sumia said, alarmed. "Stupid, Sumia!"

"Peace, Sumia! It's nothing to make such a fuss over." The girl calmed down, letting out a sigh in relief. To keep the conversation taking that turn again, he tried to switch the focus to her. "So, I take it you like to read, then?"

"I love it! It helps me relax. That and I love how different emotions can be transmitted through the text. I mostly read novels and some smaller instructional texts, though. Nothing as complicated as what Miriel normally does. I even brought a few books with me to read on my free time. Reading at night always helps me fall asleep."

"I see. Then maybe you can recommend me a book sometime? Reading about strategy is all well and good, but there are times when I'm sure I'll want something more relaxing."

"You can count on me!" Sumia pumped a fist in determination. "I'll lend you one of the ones I've already read. Maybe we can even discuss it after you read it!"

"A-Alright, of course. Though, why do you carry books that you've already read with you?"

"I like to keep my favorite ones with me when I travel. That way I can reread them if I don't have any new books with me."

"I suppose-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Frederick, who'd somehow approached them completely unnoticed. "Kellam, Vaike, Virion, and Sully have finished their meals. We are getting ready to depart. I suggest you gather your things and get ready as well."

"Right, thank you, Frederick." As Frederick was walking away to inform the next bunch, Robin stood up and stretched before turning to look at Sumia, who was doing the same. "We should continue this another time," he told her.

"Yes. I'll make sure to bring you a book then," she said. "I should get going then. Bye!"

After Sumia was gone, Robin took his book back to the wagon he was in charge of. He had to go and collect the two horses that were going to pull it and then secure them once again. It was no easy task to do by himself, but thankfully Donnel, who had some experience with horses and cattle, offered a helping hand. Between the two of them they were able to get the task done much faster than Vaike did, much to the "ol' teach's" displeasure.

In no time, they had once again set off, continuing their trip east.

Robin looked at the surroundings. It was nothing like Plegia. Well, not that he'd seen all of it. In his short time in Ylisse, he'd seen more of the country than he'd seen in Plegia for the twenty two years he lived there. It was just so green! It was beautiful. He could also enjoy being outdoors, seeing as the scorching heat of the dessert wasn't present there.

Hours passed on and the terrain kept changing. They'd made their way to some plains. As he looked around, Robin kept thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of setting up camp in such a place. Of course, that wasn't his decision to make. That was up to Chrom to decide. The prince must've read his mind, as he ordered them to stop. They would be making camp there for the night.

Robin was the one that had to hand out the different tents that were on his wagon. They were only carrying a few, as bringing one for every single one of them would be too much of a burden for the horses. As it was, most people would be sharing tents in groups of threes. The only ones that got their own private tents were Chrom, Lissa, Emmeryn, and, much to his dismay, Robin. When he asked the reason why, Chrom explained that it had been Emmeryn's suggestion.

"We need you to be on top shape," he said. "I know that you are under a lot of pressure. I can't have you going sleepless nights because you got stuck sharing a tent with someone that snores or maybe an insomniac."

"I suppose you are right," Robin said. "I appreciate it, Chrom."

The tents were set up quickly. Frederick assigned some of them task, which were mostly training and cooking. Phila would have the Pegasus Knights take shifts for night's watch. This, once again, left Robin with nothing to after he was done setting up his tent. He had to find something else to do. _I better find something to do or Frederick will make me go on a night run_ , he thought.

That is how the tactician ended up finding a sparring partner. After the fight at the palace, he was more confident in his ability as a swordsman and saw the advantage he would have if he was able to master it. Lon'qu had been kind enough to accept sparring with him. The man had seen him in full combat and offered pointers on what and how to improve.

"You've improved much," said the man of few words. "You've gotten faster and even strike with more ferocity than you did the first time we trained together."

"Thanks," said Robin. "All the training with you, Chrom, and Lyn has paid off, no?"

Robin went on the offensive. To try to get Lon'qu off guard, he used a combination of quick and precise strikes-something he'd learned from Lyn-and heavy swings-as he'd learned from Chrom-while using a similar footwork to that of his opponent. This allowed him to catch Lon'qu off guard more than a few times. The more they fought, the more of an audience they were getting. Robin could even spy some of the Phila's Pegasus Knights looking their way.

Things kept escalating. At one point, the spectators started cheering for the two different contenders. It was a very exciting experience. The two of them were fighting full out. Robin was glad that they weren't using real swords, as he'd been hit too many times already.

The both of them, exhausted, were going to go for one last round. Whoever could knock the other one down would win. Neither one of them wanted to make the first move. They kept looking at each other, trying to anticipate any incoming attack. It was Lon'qu who took the initiative, after Robin taunted him with a false-start. The wooden swords met in the middle as their user tried pushing the other off their feet by sheer force alone.

A risky idea popped into the tactician's head. His arms were going numb from trying to fight off his opponent's force. He remembered how in the palace he'd met the ground. _If I can do something similar to that…_

Instead of pushing forward to try and make some space between them, Robin pivoted and turned, forcing Lon'qu's sword to slide off of his. The edge almost hit him on the arm, but he was safe. Next, he put his full force behind a kick directed at the back of the knee of the Feroxi. He was sure that normally such an attack wouldn't bring down a swordsman, but in this case, the man was tired from the constant fight.

Sure enough, Lon'qu fell to his knee. It hadn't gone exactly as planned. Still, it worked. The match ended when Robin put his sword against Lon'qu's throat and the latter was forced to yield.

"That was a good fight," said Lon'qu as he stood up and gathered his sword. "But don't think you'll be able to fool me twice with such trickery."

"Some things only work once per opponent," said Robin. "In real combat, that's more than enough."

Miriel got the crowd's attention when she announced that dinner was ready. Just as quick as it'd formed, everyone headed over to where the food was. That excitement dissipated from most of them when they saw what they were having. Bear meat. People were too picky about their food. Robin thought the meal had a very good flavor to it. The meat was juicy, and the spices used on it gave better taste and a decent aroma.

"How's it going, Bubbles?"

Robin turned to see that Gaius had sat down besides him. He noted that the thief didn't have a meal with him. When he asked about it, Gaius said that he'd already had his share.

"More importantly, I came to collect," Gaius said. "I'm confiscating your confection." Robin didn't get a chance to object. With the speed of a feline, Gaius swept the delicious looking cupcake and started devouring it. Both of them had been looking forward to it.

"So? How's that thing we talked about going?" Robin asked.

"Hey, hey. It's only been a few hours. It's hard to find out much when Princess keeps herself in her sister's company or Twinkles all the time."

"Twinkles?"

"You know, blonde? Pink clothes? Always carrying a parasol?"

"You mean Maribelle?"

"Yes, Twinkles. That's the one. Anyway, I can tell that tell that whatever it is, it's really bothering her."

"Did I pay you to tell me something I already know?"

"Relax, Bubbles. There's still time. All I gotta do for now is see if anyone else knows what's up with her."

"In that case I suggest talking with Maribelle. They _are_ best friends."

"I don't know about that…"

"You don't like her?"

"No, it's not that… Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'll get to the bottom of this. Again, it's only been a few hours. Give me a few days and I'll have something more for ya." Gaius stood up and started walking away. "Laters."

The man was strange, but he was Robin's only hope. All he could hope for was that the thief would be discrete about it.

With dinner done, Robin retired to his tent. It was practically empty in there. The only things he had were his books on a bag, his waterskin, a bedroll, and a small table with foldable legs and a chair that would come in handy if he ever had to write down anything. It was better than nothing. He could call these few things his own. That was much more than what he had just the day before.

It was already night time, but Robin wasn't too tired yet. Instead of calling it an early night, he decided to take a look at the scroll Lyn had given him the night before. He'd almost forgotten about it if it wasn't for it's weight on his cloak. He placed the scroll on the table after he took off and folded the cloak. The tent was at a decent temperature. There was no need for him to wear it there, even if it did give him some sort of comfort when he did.

Taking a seat, Robin proceeded to open up the scroll and spread it atop the table.

The written language used in Elibe was similar to the Common Tongue. He'd been able to decipher that much after a short time over there. If he looked at the scroll under the assumption that the same could be said about it, then it would be possible to do the same to with the language used on the scroll. But that was only if they shared some sort of origin. If, for example, the language on it was closer to the one used in Chon'sin, then there was no hope for the tactician to get anywhere.

He kept staring at the odd lettering that spread across the scroll. Just what could be written in it? And why had "the old man" told Lyn that it was Robin's in the first place?

"Ugh," Robin grunted, rustling his hair out of frustration. "Who could I ask…?" Sumia came into his mind. No, it wasn't because she looked like she would be able to do it, but because of something she'd mentioned. "Miriel…" The woman was a scholar and a mage. If there was anyone capable of doing it, it would be her. Of that he was sure. He also knew he could trust her. Even if she rambled about what was on the scroll to anyone, most wouldn't understand what she was saying. He would have to ask her opinion on it soon.

"Having fun?" Robin looked up to see that Lyn had entered his tent. She walked over to his side and stared down at the scroll on the table. Going by her furrowed brow, she still didn't know anything about what was on it. "Any luck?"

Robin shook his head. "None whatsoever. The more I stare at it, the less sense it makes. I may need to ask for outside help on this."

"Are you sure?" She looked at his, surprised that he would consider that. "You were the one that said we should keep this from the others."

"I know, I know. Even so, if this is somehow linked to the Black Fang and that rumor about me, then I rather know now as to prepare myself of what is to come." The realization that he was alone in a tent with a woman in the middle of the night hit him all too late. "Wait, Lyn! What are you doing here? If someone saw you entering the tent, people will get strange ideas."

"What's wrong with me wanting to talk to you alone?" Lyn asked, frowning. "Besides, we used to do it all the time back in the day."

Damn, she got him there. When they traveled through Elibe, she would often do that too. She would even sleep there with him at times-in different bedrolls, mind you. Because he thought it was all a dream or hallucination, he didn't think it was odd. Some strange fantasy of his of a woman that didn't even exist. But that was different now! Not only was she there with him. She'd mature a lot since those times. She been seventeen then. Now she was a grown woman of twenty three. His mind kept going to places it shouldn't, heat rising to his cheeks.

"Are you okay? Your face is red."

"It's nothing. Nothing!" He took a very deep breath to try relaxing. Changing the subject would be good. "What can I do for you, Lyn?"

"I just came to talk," she admitted. "It's been awhile since we got a chance to talk. Just the two of us…"

That too was true. They gotten very few chances to do so. The longest one had been that first day they'd met up.

"I would like that," Robin said. "Let sit down, though. It feels strange to talk inside a tent when only one of us is seated."

With the table only having one chair for them, they moved over to the bedroll that was on the floor. Robin made sure to keep a bit of distance from her. He'd been more aware of her as of recently. Rubbing shoulders, in a literal sense, from sitting together would be too much.

"You look a lot more lively than in the past."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Robin asked in confusion.

"I've seen you socializing much more with all the Shepherds. When we traveled, you would keep to yourself most of the time. For the most part, you would only talk to Eliwood, Hector, and I."

That made the master tactician feel embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head in an attempt to hide it. "Everything was so new to me back then. It was a whole different place from what I'd grown accustomed to.

"I felt like I was there to guide you guys on your journeys. It didn't feel right to intervene more than I had to. I was too concern trying to keep all of you alive, I guess."

"You still talked with me, though."

He could feel her eyes on him. He turned to look at her, his expression relaxing much more. He offered her a smile. "You were like me."

"What do you mean?"

"Alone among strangers. You were the one that saved my life and took me to your home when I first showed up, despite not knowing who I was. You took care of me. You fed me. You were the first person I met. Of course I would treat you different from the others."

The role of the blushee was passed to her. Even with the faint light of the candle on the table, he could see the color on her fair skin. "Teasing doesn't suit you, Mark."

Robin chuckled at her reaction. She could say whatever she wanted, but she had to know all that was true too. He couldn't help but smile grin a little as he kept looking into her big, innocent, green eyes.

His heart was raising then more they looked at each other-neither of them turning away nor speaking a word. The sound of his his heart beating filled his ears. He, however, ignored it. He found himself leaning in closer to Lyn, his mind blank. She too, made the same action. This continued until their lips closed the distance he'd made sure to keep when he first sat down.

* * *

A lot of stuff going on in this chapter, no?

I wanted to have some more interactions with characters instead of just fighting all the time. That's why you see so many conversations going on with different people as the chapter went by. I was planning on throwing in something with Panne, Stahl, and Virion too, but decided against it. I'm gonna keep those for later, hehe. Always good to have something to look forward for the next chapter.

Also, come on! Who wasn't expecting _that_ to happen at some point?

Last chapter got a really good reception. I'm really happy about it! It has the most reviews out of any other. I must've done something good haha!

 **starlightkitsune2178** -Could you imagine that? That would be pretty awesome. more so if Nergal was still alive and brought his version of the risen with him. That could mean that Lloyd, Linus, Uhai, and Brendan could make an appearance... In morph form.

 **werehogdog** -Stay tuned for more on the next episode (chapter) of Different Awakening! No, seriously, keep reading. I have things planned for that. How long it will take before we all get to know what she did and did not hear? Who knows...?

 **Whatstoknow** -Thank you very much. Much appreciated!

 **Antiques thief** -Hahaha! I'm tempted to say at least one of them, but then anyone would guess who it'll be right away. And no worries, I didn't take it as an insult or anything.

 **Calpyso** -I know what you mean. When I saw they were going to bring her in and that she recognized the Avatar, I got super hyped. The grammatical errors are mainly because of two reasons: 1) I am ESL. 2) I can be lazy and don't read through the whole chapter before publishing it . Honestly though, I hope that those go down as the chapters go on. Gotta keep training that writing skill, you know? Some of Lyn's clothing was revealed in her POV chapter, but I followed your advise and went into a little more detail on this chapter :D Since I skipped it before, I think there has to be a reason why he would take notice of it again. Don't worry about Isadora. I'll do the same for her in the coming chapters. Again, thanks for pointing that out.

 **potatoman098** -She isn't all that popular. Harken neither, for that matter. I did used them a whole bunch when I played through the game for the first time. Maybe I'm just bias? I liked her character in the game, so I thought she would be a good addition to the Shepherds' ranks. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. Hope you still do!


	12. And so he betrayed

Woah! Amazing reception to the last chapter! Brought in over a thousand views in less than four days. You guys are amazing!

Because of how the last chapter ended, I started typing up the next one immediately after the upload. So that's why this one only took a few days to come out instead of the usual week~

Hope you enjoy this one. I tried a lot of different things with it for no particular reason. It's just how things turned out, haha!

Anyways, let me know what you think on a review! I definitely want to know what you think about this one in particular. Also, as always, favorite and/or follow the story if you really liked it!

* * *

 _Chapter 12: And so he betrayed_

It had been a while since the last time Robin had been able to just enjoy a moment. The only way that it could be described was pure bliss. As they shared that moment, he felt like there was no one else in the world but them. She was was the sweet fragrance on her skin. The small sound their lips would make every time their lips parted only to meet up again. And of course, those soft lips of hers that were on his.

He was hit with a moment of doubt. Should they really be doing that? They were at war, even if they had yet to see more combat. Then again, he'd seen many of his past companions find love through their journey, despite the constant state of fighting...

Any doubts he had quickly disappeared when Lyn shifted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him closer. She ran her finger through his hair. _Gods, that feels good_ , he thought as he too wrapped her arms around her. His right hand was on the small of her back and his left on the back of her neck. That made them get even closer.

It was embarrassing, in a way. His heart was going crazy. With their bodies touching, she would be able to feel it. He could feel hers too. He found comfort in the fact that it felt like he wasn't the only one with a fast heartbeat.

Robin had lost the sense of time already, so when they parted, he didn't know if the kiss had lasted a minute of an hour. All he knew was that it felt good. The only reason he'd stopped was because he needed to get some breath. Yet, he was already craving those lips again.

Lyn's hands had moved to both of his cheeks, gently caressing them slowly in beat with their breathing, while both of Robin's hands moved to her waist. Their foreheads were touching as they both took in a well deserved breath of fresh air.

"We should talk alone more often," Robin finally said, earning a good laugh from his partner. He joined her too for a moment. He knew it was a stupid thing to say, but it'd been the first thing that came up to his mind. The man was a brilliant strategist. What he lacked was experience in love affairs.

"Not with this stubble of yours," she said, running a finger over where said stubble was. "It was like kissing a cactus or a porcupine."

Robin flinched. He'd forgotten all about that. "S-sorry. I haven't had a chance to shave recently." With a little more worry in his voice, he asked, "was it really _that_ bad?"

"No!" This time she was the one worried. "I was just teasing you a little…"

"Teasing doesn't suit you either." That was a relief. He didn't want things to get awkward between them after that had happened. Lyn relaxed too, offering him an apologetic smile, which he returned.

The two went back to sitting side by side; this time, the distance between them wasn't that much. Neither of them knew what to do, that much was obvious by the silence. Before things got too awkward, the tactician started some idle conversation. They talked for a while. He talked about Plegia when she asked what it was like, trying to point out more of the good points than the bad ones. Not an easy task when talking about a country that mostly consists of desert.

He asked about what had happened to Caelin. She explained that she'd entrusted the rule to Ostia and returned to the Sacaen Plains for a while after he'd disappeared.

They talked about a great deal of things, whether they be small and stupid, like the fact that Hector looked ridiculous with a beard, to political stability throughout the Lycian League. All the while, they held hands, in a way to acknowledge their feelings for each other.

Eventually, when Robin noticed that the candle was running short, Lyn decided to call it a night. Neither of them knew how to act. Another kiss could be too much. Maybe a hug? They decided to just exchange a smile and say their goodnights instead. There was no need to force things too much. They would see each other the next day anyway.

With nothing else to do, he thought about getting some sleep. He removed his boots, his gloves, and his belt, placing them on the table just besides the scroll. To kill the ember on the candle, he licked two of his fingers and pinched the wick. With the light extinguished, the tent turned almost pitch black. Robin could only faintly see the outline of the things that were in there with him. He carefully made his way towards the bedroll, laying down once he found it.

There hadn't been any fighting that day, but it had still been an eventful day. His magical essence had been slowly returning to him throughout the day, which was a good sign that he would be ready for combat if it came their way. He'd also gotten better with the sword in such a short time, much to everyone's surprise. Next time he would be able to combine the two effectively to keep himself from getting physically or mentally exhausted.

 _It was a good day,_ he thought as he closed his eyes. Without a doubt, the highlight of it had been how it ended. With Lyn in his mind, he eventually fell into a deep slumber.

The next day started when a certain knight opened the flap on his tent, casting sunrays directly to his face. He tried squeezing his eyes as much as he could, but the light had done its job.

"Good morning, Robin," said the knight, satisfied that his little ploy had worked. Robin wondered if the man was also moving around on his armor more than he needed to just to bother him. "Prince Chrom asked for you. We'll be having a war counsel at his tent."

The tactician grunted in acknowledgement, glaring at Frederick. He would've wanted to know that the day before. He felt bad having someone send for him when he wasn't even ready. _Starting tomorrow, I'll make sure to wake up early_ , he thought.

"I'll be right over," he told the knight. "Give me just a moment to get ready."

"Of course." The knight, however, didn't move. He smiled happily, just waiting for Robin. This made Robin wonder if he was used to doing the same with Chrom and Lissa. It wouldn't have been too surprising if that were the case. Lissa didn't seem like a morning person, and Chrom, well, he was Chrom; very reliable, but took on so much that he had to be exhausted at the end of the day. Robin had no choice but to rush to get ready. It was bad enough having people waiting elsewhere. Having someone doing so right there, well, it was an added pressure.

Before long, Robin had already put his boots and gloves back on. As he was grabbing his belt, he noticed that Frederick had been staring at the scroll that was still open on the table. He berated himself internally for leaving it in the open like that. Then again, he hadn't expected anyone to come looking for him so early in the morning.

"Is this written in a Plegian alphabet," Frederick asked. "I can't say I've seen writing like this before."

"Uh, no… Not that I know of. Lyn gave it to me. I've was trying decypher it last night with no luck."

"I see. Though, if I may ask, why would she give it to you? I had no knowledge that you delved in languages as well as tactics."

He just _had_ to ask, didn't he? Robin adjusted his belt and then grabbed his cloak. "It's nothing that impressive. She was told that it belonged to me, but I don't remember ever owning something like that."

"Is that why she was looking for you?" Frederick asked.

"Huh?"

"If I recall, she made a comment about how she had been searching for you for some time at the party in Arena Ferox."

"N-no, I don't think that had to do with it…" He tried to get his hair to look more presentable. "She got it a few days before she traveled to Regna Ferox."

"I see. She was really just searching for you, then."

"Hey, what are you implying?" He got a hold of the scroll and rolled it up before placing it back on an inner pocket on his cloak. "Are you saying that I'm not worth looking for? That's pretty cold coming from you, Frederick. I would've expected something like that from Sully or maybe Lady Maribelle." Lastly, he got a hold of his sword and tome. He was ready to move out.

"My apologies, I didn't mean it to sound like that," Frederick said, showing a small smile. The man was impossible to read at times.

"...Lets just go and meet up with Chrom. We can't keep him waiting forever."

"Very well. Follow me."

As instructed by the knight, the tactician followed behind him. The camp was for the most part quiet. He could see that some of the Pegasus Knights were up and about. Phila had mentioned that they would be taking charge of being lookouts. The three he could see were most likely part of that shift. They weren't the only ones up, though. He could see Sully already practicing in the distance. Maribelle was having some morning tea. Ricken was writing something on some sort of book that wasn't his magical tome. Lon'qu was carefully sharpening and polishing his blade. And Stahl...was sleeping outside, actually, much to Robin's amusement.

The two of them came to a halt when they reached Chrom's tent. Robin was confused by this. They were supposed to go in. No one would hold a war counsel in the middle of camp. "Is something the matter?" Robin asked.

Frederick turned to face him. "Milord is still asleep. Give me a moment to wake him."

They way he'd come to wake Robin up had made it seem like Chrom had been expecting him for a while, much like it had happened back at the garrison. So then, what was the rush?

"I thought it would be good if you didn't come late again," Frederick explained as he got the hint of what was on the tactician's mind. "If you come here early then milord will start taking the initiative to wake earlier by himself in the future."

"I can't believe you would go through _that_ much trouble just to have him wake up early… I don't know if I should be mad at you for using me, or praising you because your strategy will have a similar effect on me."

"I'm glad you approve. Now, if you would excuse me." Frederick went ahead and entered the tent. Robin thought it would be wiser to wait outside. He couldn't see what was going on, but from what he heard, Chrom was ashamed of himself. He said something along the lines that as the leader of the Shepherds, he should lead through example. _Frederick is surprisingly manipulative_.

Robin had been waiting outside for a short time when Phila and Emmeryn got there. He smiled at the pair and greeted them, which were both returned full heartedly.

"Are you joining us this morning too, Your Grace?" Robin asked. He'd been expecting to see Phila there as she had knights under her charge to mobilise. Emmeryn, on the other hand, didn't struck him as someone that would want to get involved in war. Then again, she was the Exalt. All decisions, even if she didn't make them, would end up on her conscious, much like everything that went on in combat ended up on Robin's shoulders.

"Yes, though I am not confident that I can bring in much to the table," Emmeryn said. "Combat isn't something that I have much experience in."

"Don't let that bother you, Your Grace. There are times where someone without experience can spot something others cannot."

Emmeryn stared at him for a moment, surprised by his words, before she giggled. "I see that you've been reading the books."

"Just started one yesterday," he said with a chuckle. "I think they will come in handy in the future. I just need more time to focus on studying them."

"I understand. Please, don't force yourself too much, Robin. You are an essential member to this Shepherds."

Robin didn't get a chance to respond, as Frederick came back out of the tent to tell them Chrom was ready. The four of them entered the much larger tent of the prince. In the center of it, there was a big wooden table with a detailed map of the area they were in at the moment. On top of that, there were carved figures that were meant to symbolize them as well as landmarks around the area. Whoever made all that had a very good attention to detail. The figurines were carved to perfection into soldiers, mages, healers, horsemen, and pegasi knights.

"Good morning," Chrom said as he waved them over. "We should get started."

When everyone took a place around the table, the bluenette continued, "I would like us to discuss the route we will be taking today."

"I thought that you'd already decided on that yesterday," Robin commented.

"We did. Sort of. The problem we have here, if you can even call it that, is that there is a fork on the road further ahead. Both paths will take us to our final destination, but there is more to it than that.

"If we take the left path," he signaled the path on the map, "it will take us much longer. However, there are villages on the way that we can stop at to resupply if we need to. It is generally safer there too. Feroxi soldiers are already around the area, keeping the peace."

"I see. But if there are Feroxi soldiers then that means that there is also some danger if we take it."

"Correct. The Feroxi have reported combat with both bandits and Risen. If we take that path, we should expect to fight. That on itself will cost us even more time.

"On the other hand, the right path is much shorter." He pointed to the other path this time, following it as he explained. "There aren't any villages from the point forward, as we would be cutting through a mountain and a valley. Because of that, this path is known to be dangerous. From falling rocks to crumbling ground, there are many ways we could get injured without engaging in combat."

Robin rubbed his chin as he took in Chrom's words. He stared at the map for a while, not aware that the others were waiting for him to say something.

"There's a bigger possibility for an ambush if we take that path," he finally said.

"What makes you say that?" Emmeryn asked.

"Much of the path takes us through the area between a slope of the mountain and the valley. If there's an enemy force trailing us, they could go around and cut us off from the front. Archers and mages could then attack us from defensive position on the slope. We would become easy targets. Even if Phila had her knights go try and take them down, we would suffer heavy casualties."

"I concur," said Phila. "As much as it pains me to admit, if there archers and mages using wind magic, we wouldn't be able to get close to them."

"Do you really think they would go for an ambush?" Chrom asked his tactician.

" _If_ there's someone following us, and _if_ they have the archers and mages to spare, then yes. I would do the same thing if I was the one following an enemy force into such a place."

"Your suggestion would then be to take the longer path, correct?"

"No, actually. I would still take the shorter path."

"You've pointed out the risks of that path," Frederick said, confused. "With the Exalt with us, we can't take such a risk."

"It is true that we run a risk. However, we know there is the chance the enemy force could use such a strategy against us. I can come up with a way to counter it should we be attacked. There's also the fact that we can assume we will only be attacked once on the shorter path, while we could have to go into combat any number of times on the other."

"I see," said Chrom as he himself studied the map. "Then I too say we should take the shorter path."

They continued to discuss the matter for some time until eventually all five of them were comfortable enough with the plan, Robin having given some suggestions as to what they could do to counter his worst-case-scenario ambush. Phila left to pass on the orders to her knights, while Frederick would do the same for the Shepherds. Emmeryn left too, as she'd had other matters to attend to, leaving only Chrom and Robin left.

"When will we depart?" Robin asked as he got one last look at the map before Chrom rolled it up and stored it on a box along with the wooden figures.

"After breakfast, I suppose," the prince responded. "Word to the wise, do _not_ eat whatever it is Sully cooked."

"Why is that?"

"If you want to live, then don't eat it. Trust me."

 _Wait… Is she trying to kill me?!_ Robin's mind could only go in that direction. It would make the most sense. The way Chrom had said it made it seem like the redhead would poison his food. Would she really attempt for his life at a time like that? He knew they weren't on the best of terms, but he didn't take her for someone that would stoop so low as to try something as poisoning his food.

"I'll keep that in mind… Thanks." Robin turned around and was ready to leave when he remembered something he'd thought about the night before. He turned to look at Chrom, who looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Was there something on your mind?" Chrom asked.

"Actually, there was something. Would you happen to know where I could find Miriel?"

Chrom at first looked at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. His expression quickly morphed into one of mischief, giving Robin the feel that he should be cautious.

"Miriel, huh? I didn't think she was your type," Chrom said with the widest grin the tactician had ever seen on the man until that point.

"Wha- Where is that coming from?" Chrom approached him and place his hand on his shoulder. Robin could only stare back, hoping he would get an answer.

"No need to be so bashful, Robin. Last night, while I was walking around camp, I saw a figure coming out of your tent. I didn't expect you to make a move on Miriel of all people."

"No! No, no, no, NO! You've got it all wrong!"

"Was it Tharja then? That would make more sense."

Immediately, Robin felt a chill going down his spine. "There is nothing between me and Tharja, I tell you! Could you just drop it?" He moved some distance away from Chrom, a light dust of red creeping up his cheeks.

Chrom didn't back down, much to Robin's dread. "Lyn then?"

His face turned that much more red as he instantly remembered what had happened the night before. He opened his mouth to try to protest, but nothing came out.

Chrom laughed and slapped him a couple of time on the back. "I should've known with the way you two embraced each other in Arena Ferox."

"Please, stop," Robin said, cringing. "We kissed, that's it! Don't go getting any weird ideas on your mind."

"If it makes you feel better I can tell you about how I almost kissed-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear more about this. Your love life is as much of my business as mine is yours." Robin didn't let Chrom speak another word. He made his way out of the tent, heading towards where the faint smell of food being prepared was coming from. He was rubbing his forehead, hoping that Chrom wouldn't speak about what he'd said to anyone else. He had yet to discuss the matter further with Lyn. For the time being, he wanted to keep it between the two of them… Chrom already knowing about it was already bad enough.

Suddenly, Robin jerked backwards when someone pulled on the hood of his cloak, hard. He had to fight hard to keep himself from falling. Still, he was slowly dragged towards a small stool near the cooking area, and promptly forced to sit down, letting out an "oof" when he did. A wooden bowl with some sort of...gray goo was pushed to his hands.

"I need ya to eat that," said a certain redhead that he'd completely forgotten to try to avoid. How she'd found him so quick was a mystery. Robin could already feel cold sweat on the back of his neck and the color draining from his face (at least that helped hide the blush.) Whether it was from the smell of the food or the way it looked or _who_ made it, Robin was getting all sorts of death flags raising, telling him to drop the...substance and run for it.

"Well?" Sully said impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest. She was trying to stare him down, brow furrowed. "What'cha waitin' for? Dig in!"

"Uuuuh…" Robin took another look at his "food". He held the spoon that was on the bowl to take a closer look at whatever it was that he was supposed to eat. "N-not that I don't appreciate it, but… Why do you want _me_ to have this of all people?" On the back of his mind he could only hear "poison" over and over again."

"Think of it as a reward for all you've done," she said.

 _A REWARD?!_ By the looks of it, it was more like a punishment! _But wait… She is finally being somewhat nice to me. Should I go on with this?_

"And no one else is willing to have it," she added.

She was using him as a guinea pig. Of course she would. That made a whole lot more sense.

"Are ya gonna eat it or what?" Her piercing eyes made him feel cornered. Taking a quick glance around, he noticed that there was no one that could save him this time. He couldn't help but think that this would be how he met his end. The great Shepherd's tactician that had kept his troops alive battle after battle would meet his end from the terrible cooking of one of his own!

"R-right," he said almost in a whisper—more to encourage himself than to answer her. He had to take a good minute to brace himself for the horrible flavor. When he finally took in a spoonful, he couldn't chew the thing! It was as if someone had force fed him resin. If it'd taken him long to even touch it, it took an eternity to swallow. He would've spittin it out had anyone else offered him the food, but she had a bad image of him alre-

"Oh gods!" Robin clutched at his stomach. The food hadn't gone down well. He already felt like gagging.

"Come on! It can't be that bad. Stop being such a wimp."

Robin looked at Sully, trying to convey his misery. Before having a chance to say anything, he covered his mouth as he could already feel the contents of his stomach wanting to come out.

"...Vulnerary…" he managed to mutter. "Someone give me a vulnerary!"

"Here you go, Robin," the armored hand of Kellam came into view to offer a bottle of the medicine. Robin didn't have the chance to be surprised at the sudden appearance of the iron tank. He quickly took the bottle and ran as far as his legs would allow him. _Gods bless that man_.

He only returned to camp after having forced himself to vomit and then shrugging the whole vulnerary, something that healers wouldn't recommend under normal circumstances. By then, the better cooks had finished preparing edible food. Robin slumped down near the area the others were eating. Hid lost his appetite, despite having an empty stomach.

"You look terrible," came a voice from his side. He turned to look and, sure enough, it was Lyn's. She was looking down at him, holding a plate with food. "What happened to you?"

"That's not some sort of gray _thing_ you have there, is it?" Robin asked.

Lyn looked down to double check what it was she had. "No, it's just a normal breakfast—toast and eggs," she answered before taking a seat next to him. "Aren't you going to have anything?"

"No… I almost died when Sully had me try her cooking…"

"Why would she have you try it?"

"Apparently no one in camp wanted to have it. Chrom even warned me about it."

"But...I saw Kellam eating out of a pot while Sully was looking over him."

"That poor man… He'll be in a better place soon. His sacrifice will be remembered better than he is."

"Aren't you being too dramatic?" Lyn asked.

"I almost died from eating that same thing. Believe me, I'm not exaggerating one bit. If she ever tries to have you try her cooking, run away. Run. Away."

"If you say so…"

The two sat in silence, Lyn nibbling at her breakfast while Robin just stared into the distance. He would steal glances from her every now and again. He wasn't sure how to proceed after what happened the night before.

"What happened to Isadora?" Robin asked. He couldn't help it. It was the first thing that popped into his mind.

Lyn looked up at look at him in surprise. "She is having a morning training session with Sir Frederick."

"I-I see." Lyn looked at him, probably clueless as to what was going on with him.

"Yo," Gaius said as he walked towards them, holding a plate of his own.

"Good morning, Gaius," said Robin.

"Good morning," said Lyn.

"What bring you here so early?" Robin asked as he looked at the thief suspiciously. "If you were planning on taking my dessert, I don't have one right now. I'm not even eating." Lyn looked at the tactician confused by what he was talking about.

"Nah, they served sweet rolls," Gaius said, showing two he'd managed to get a hold of. "I was just checking in. I've been seeing Princess running around the camp holding a book of some sort since yesterday night."

"Okay…?"

"Pretty interesting, no?" Robin slowly shook his head. Gaius shrugged it off. "Just thought you might like to know." He turned away, ready to leave, but then he suddenly turned back again to look at Robin. "Mind if I have your sweet roll? You're not having it, after all."

Robin sighed and rustled his own hair. "Go ahead. I don't care either way." Gaius gave his thanks and then walked back towards where the food was being served.

"What was that about?" Lyn asked, still nibbling at her food little by little.

"I'm having him look into Lissa. Things are awkward between us as they are, so had to delegate the task of finding out just how much she heard to some else." She hummed in acknowledgement. He was glad that she approved of his technique. Then she pushed her piece of toast towards him. "I really don't think I should have anything."

"Eat it," she said, her tone more commanding and her brow furrowed. "You are our tactician. We can't have you passing out because of an empty stomach. Besides, I put some honey on it. That should help settle your stomach. That's what my mother would do when I was still a child."

Robin waved her off, but was then forced to grab it when she more forcefully moved it his way. "Bossy, aren't you? You did the same thing when we first met."

Lyn smiled at the mention of the memory. "Except this time you aren't bedridden." He would've been had he not drank a whole bottle of vulnerary. "You take care of everyone but yourself. Let me look out for you, okay?"

He looked at her and then at the toast. Finally, he gave in, taking a large bite out of it. It definitely tasted better than anything he'd had until that point. "It's not bad," he said, taking another bite. Lyn's smile widened as she looked at him eating. Eventually, she continued eating her own breakfast as well.

The toast was gone after a few more bites. Too comfortable to move, Robin decided to stay there until Frederick gave the order to put away the tents. He simply enjoyed Lyn's company, even if they were not speaking. He had a strange sense of safety with her around, like when he used to still live in the farm with his parents. He kept wondering about this until he noticed an approaching figure of a blonde. The girl came to a stop a few feet away from the couple.

"Is there something I can do for you, Maribelle?" Robin asked, looking up at the towering figure of the standing girl. She had her parasol on her hands, clenching it tightly.

"Could I have a word with you, Robin?" She then looked at Lyn. "Privately?" The tone of her voice made it sound more like a demand than a request. She was quite the noble.

Robin looked over at Lyn, who gathered herself. "We can talk later, Mark," the greenette said. "I'll go see how Isadora is doing." Robin nodded at his companion. As Lyn was departing, Robin took that as an opportunity to stand up and dust himself off. With that, he and Maribelle were left alone, given them the privacy that Maribelle had requested.

" _We_ have a problem," Maribelle said.

"And what would that be?" Robin asked.

"It has to be because of you, of course. You did something to my darling Lissa, you scoundrel." She didn't let Robin say anything, as she continued, "I've seen how she's been trying to avoid you since yesterday morning. When I asked, she denied it. I know of her good nature first hand, therefore, I can say for certain that _you_ are at fault here!"

Robin wondered why he hadn't asked Maribelle to check up on Lissa before. The two girls were best friends, going back for a long time, as he understood it. But if Lissa hadn't even told her, then what were the chances of Gaius finding anything out? Robin sighed as he scratched the back of his head.

"If you are not going to defend yourself then I will proceed to grant you your punishment."

"Wait. Punishment? I haven't done anything wrong!" His words landed on deaf ears, as Maribelle thought, out loud, of different "fitting" punishments to his crime. "Don't you think you are blowing this out of proportion? There was a misunderstanding between me and Lissa, okay? She hasn't spoken to me since and has been avoiding me, like you said. Because of that, we haven't had a chance to clear things up."

"A commoner like you wouldn't understand someone of noble birth such as my Lissa," Maribelle defended. "Chrom may have given you too much leeway around the Shepherds, but I won't be so kind. Now, as for your punishment, I-"

"Give it a rest, Maribelle. You are blowing this way out of proportion! Don't you think that if something _bad_ happened between Lissa and I someone would have done something about it already? Like Chrom, Emmeryn, or Frederick?"

"...Perhaps."

"Listen, I'm in the dark here as much as you are. If I _really_ did something bad to Lissa, even if I didn't know about it, I'll own up to it and apologize. You can even deal out your punishment if that makes you feel any better. However, until we find out why she is avoiding me, I can't do anything."

"What do you suggest?"

"You two are good friends, no?" She nodded in agreement. "Then talk to her; see if she will tell you what is on her mind. If you find out, come talk to me. The three of us can have a serious conversation about it. I promise."

Maribelle remained silent as she pondered over what Robin had said. He knew that having Gaius already on the case could provide him with the answer he needed. But if he could also convince Maribelle to look into it—to approach the problem from a different angle—then he would try to use of her mother-like protection of the princess to his advantage.

"Your terms are reasonable," she finally said. "I will hold you to your word. Not that it's worth much. But should you come anywhere near my darling before I find out what is going on, you'll find yourself pinned under the point of my parasol, understood?"

"That's fine by me. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are things that I need to do back at my tent."

Truth be told, he had nothing to do back at his tent. He just wanted to get out of there as quick as possible. Maribelle was amongst the few Shepherds that Robin hadn't talked to too much. The reason for that was the same for Sully and Vaike—the condescending tone they used when talking to him. Maribelle's case was different, though. It was always an "I'm better than you" conversation with her—always pointing out that others were of common birth, and assuming they weren't knowledgeable in certain areas because of that. Plainly put, it was annoying.

With nothing else to do, Robin ended clearing out his tent. He folded up the table's legs, rolled up his bedroll, gathered his books and placed them back in the backpack, and finally took everything out before dismantling and folding the tent itself. It wasn't too much work, except for taking everything back to the wagon by himself.

Not long after, some of the others started doing the same thing. Robin, having nothing better to do, went on to help whoever he could see needed help. First were Ricken and Donnel, who weren't tall enough to unhook some of the ropes that were holding up the tent. There was Tharja, who was struggling carrying the tent over to the wagon. Then Stahl, who was helping Frederick put away all the training equipment. Sumia had found an assortment of books that she wanted to take, so he helped her take them over to the wagon. Before anyone knew it, everything had been put away and they were ready to leave—all ahead of schedule.

With things ready, Chrom gave the order to continue the march east. Like the day before, Robin found himself handing one of the wagons, with Gaius, Donnel, and Tharja as his passengers hours passed until they finally reached the fork on the road. Chrom didn't stop to consider what path to take. He'd already set his mind on the shortest one. No one questioned his decision, instead continuing to engage in small talk amongst themselves.

Slowly, the terrain around them starting to change. The flat plains transformed to a rocky slope. Trees started to come into view as they ventured forward. The mountain became more prevalent. They finally entered the area Robin had mentioned—the killzone. The road was wide enough, but the terrain was loose because of the dry environment. Some rocks would roll down the mountain side every now and again only to end up hitting the road and then rolling off into the ravine to their right. The stretch was a long one. Robin had to make sure to keep his eyes open for any signs of an ambush. As an extra precaution, he closed his eyes and activated his Eagle Eye.

He had a good view of the their caravan moving forward in an orderly manner, like ants moving food into an ant hill—they moved slowly, but with precision. He could also look at the river that was down the ravine, its water white from the many rocks that were on it. FInally, and most important of all, he could see the mountain side.

Nothing looked out of the ordinary. He could see a few animals moving around, but nothing resembling humans other than themselves. Still, he felt uneasy. The enemy had attacked the palace before. A scout could easily be following them without anyone knowing of it… Being overcautious, the black mage decided to check further ahead as well. Things looked just as calm, that is, until he noticed a pack of wyverns coming their way.

Wyverns weren't a common sight in Ylisse. On the other hand, there were plenty of pegasi, which is why the order of the Pegasus Knights had been formed. So, seeing a single wyvern was possible, but uncommon. Seeing a pack of them? Impossible. Robin confirmed what he dreaded to think when he took a closer look at the wyverns. They had riders on their backs, all armed to the teeth. Robin pulled back on the reins, forcing his horses to stop pulling the wagon, and everyone behind him to stop as well.

"Chrom!" He called out, hoping the prince would hear him. The advantage of their location was that his voice got carried through all the way to the front. Rest of the Shepherds that were traveling on horses stopped on their tracks when their leader did so and looked back at the tactician. From the look Chrom was giving him, he could already tell why Robin had called out.

"Regroup at the back," Chrom ordered. "We are going to be ambushed any minute now. Protect the Exalt!" Every sprung into action, bunching up around Robin's wagon.

"Captain Phila and the Pegasus Knights will defend the Emmeryn and protect our backs," Robin said in the authoritative tone he took when dealing out orders. "If the enemy is expecting reinforcements, they will be coming from behind us or the ravine. Make sure to take them out."

"Understood," said Phila, not questioning Robin's orders for a second. She went on to regroup with her knights and pass on the orders. She would be defending Emmeryn herself along with two others.

"The rest of us will split up into groups," Robin continued as he turned to look back at the Shepherds. "Panne, you will join the cavalry. With your beast form you won't have a problem keeping up with their speed." The taguel nodded. "You guy will have the most dangerous job—taking the brunt of the first attack head on. Dame Isadora, Sir, Frederick, Stahl, and Sully, make sure to use your lances. You may be able to take some of them down in one hit with enough speed.

"Chrom, Lon'qu, Kellam, and Lyn will follow behind. With their ranks broken and their speed all but gone, you all can take them on in a more even field. You will also take Maribelle with you." He turned to look at the blonde noble. "With your horse, you will be able to move swiftly between any of our injured. You'll have to keep track of your energy. If you can tell they'll be good enough using a vulnerary, then let them do so. We can heal them up after the battle is done if need be."

"Very well," Maribelle said, giving a small nod. "I shall do as you say this time."

"Next, Vaike, Gaius, and Sumia. You will be in charge of stopping anything trying to approach from the ravine as well as providing support to the Pegasus Knights. Lissa will join you too, to keep you all in good health.

"Lastly, casters—Ricken, Tharja, Miriel, and I— and Virion will be taking on the enemy ranged units that will come from the mountain. We _have_ to ensure they don't get within reach of the rest."

Everyone called out in acknowledgement. They all had to know how risky this one fight could be. The war could be lost if they didn't perform extraordinarly.

"Isadora, Gaius, and Panne, come here for a second. The rest of you go take your positions and wait for my signal." The three approached him as the rest moved on, either heading forward, toward the ravine or the mountain. "I'll be casting a spell on you that will let you communicate with me…"

He gave them a quick explanation on how it worked, although he had to point out that they would get a better sense on how it worked only after they'd experienced it. He sent them away when he was done before he joined up with the rest of the ranged group. The wyverns were already in view. Robin immediately activated the rest of the mind links. He could feel how his magic flowed through his body and onto his tome. He'd regained enough after a calm day to be able to do that and even have enough left over to fight.

The wyvern gang reached them minutes after. Instead of attacking them right away, one of them signaled them to stop a distance away. Robin could see as the wyverns came to a halt and the ranged units started coming into view from the mountain side.

Then, from the Shepherds' ranks, a man ran towards the enemies. For a second Robin thought that one of them got impatient and rushed forward. But the clothes of that particular man were ones he'd caught a glance only a couple of times before—the clothes of the Hierarch; a trusted friend to the crown.

"Hold, sir," the Hierarch called out in panic to the enemy leader, to the shock of everyone else. Robin thought that the man was trying to prevent the battle to happen, that is, until he spoke again. "You must be Vasto, yes? I'm the one that has been leaving the messages behind! King Gangrel should've informed you about who I am and that I am to be protected!"

An atmosphere of shock and tension grew as the Shepherds helplessly watched the exchange.

"I was told of a man…" the leader, Vasto, said from atop his wyvern. He flashed the Hierarch a maniacal grin. "But all I see here is a pig and dead men!" The Hierarch, knowing not what was going on, took a step back. "What's the matter, piggy? You tryin' to run back to your Exalt? Traitorous bacon like you should just die!

"You sold out your leaders. Do you know what we do to people like that?" Vasto signaled to axemen to approach the Hierarch. "We kill 'em. Now, be a good piggy and _squeal_! SQUEAL!"

The Hierarch was frozen. The last thing coming out of him was a shriek of pain as one of the axemen cut him down.

Vasto took a big whiff of the air. "Aaaaaah," he let out all his breath in satisfaction. "That's more like it! The smell of blood is in the air, boys! Now we can move to the main course. Ylisseans! I'll be kind to ya. Hand over your wench of a ruler, the traitorous tactician, and the Fire Emblem, and I'll spare you the agony of death!"

"We will fight until the end," Chrom shouted back. "We will _not_ see defeat here. If you stand on our way, you give us no choice but to cut you down!"

"Cocky dastard! Ha! It'll be fun to gut that one! And after I do, there will be no one alive that won't know the name Vasto! Gangrel will make me one of those lordy types. Come then! Do your worst! I'll splatter ya across the canyon floor!" The wyvern rider raised his axe as a signal to begin the attack. All at once, the enemy forces rushed towards them.

The Shepherds, on the other hand, didn't move at all. They were all ready to attack, with their weapons at hand, but they were all waiting for Robin's signal.

" _Hold_ ," he told them all using the mindlink. The wyverns and barbarians were getting closer. The archers were reading the arrow and the mages their spells. " _Hold!_ "

When he noticed that the first arrow fly, he finally gave the order to move forward. The cavalry went full throttle, the swordsmen following behind. Robin guided the casters and Virion towards the mountain, narrowly avoiding being hit by the incoming arrows and different anima spells. " _Spread out. We need to draw them closer and make it harder for them to hit us._ "

Robin moved as best he could to get in good range from some of the casters. He could see that Virion was already shooting some arrows of his own. Miriel was already in combat too. Ricken and Tharja were both trying to get closer too, as they'd been stuck with the enemies that were higher up still.

With sword and tome in hand, Robin casted his first spell. The black sphere-transformed shadow ran up the ground until it reached its target. The tendrils from the Flux spell got hold of the other caster's legs, crushing them. The man, having lost any ability to hold himself up, started barreling down towards him, rolling on the ground like a ragdoll. Robin finished him off with a swing of his sword as he rolled passed him.

With no time to relax, Robin kept on climbing up. With eagle eye, he could see that his plan had worked. Their front was well covered completely, every single Shepherd engage in combat. The enemies were falling, but too slowly. These enemies were well trained soldiers, not bandits or assassins. They had honed their own skills in combat. They wouldn't go down easy.

Robin and the rest of his unit were throwing spell after spell towards the other mages (arrows, in the case of Virion.) Their unrelenting attacks were taking their toll on the enemy. The enemies had the advantage of higher ground, but the Shepherds were cooperating with each other, preventing any attack from reaching them while eliminating enemies at a much faster pace.

Taking another look with Eagle Eye, he noticed what looked like enemy reinforcements approaching from the other side of the ravine. _Just as I thought._

" _Take care of the rest. I'll go support the Sumia and the others._ "

" _Leave it to me,_ " Ricken said, excited about doing so good in combat.

" _Very well_ ," said Miriel.

" _Take your time, sir,_ " said Virion. " _I shall dwindle down their numbers for the both of us, or I'm not the archerest of archers!_ "

" _Be careful_ ," said Tharja.

Without second thought, Robin turned around and tried to head down the same slope he'd struggled to go up. Fortunately, going down was much faster. He also informed Sumia, Vaike, Gaius, and Lissa about the approaching enemies.

When he reached them, he could see a new face had joined them—a redhead pegasus knight that had seen some combat, judging from the way she was breathing and the few cuts on her body and dings on her armor.

"What is going on?" Robin asked Phila as he ran towards them.

"The border has fallen," Phila explained, cringing. "Enemy reinforcements are coming en masse. We need to finish this fight before the brunt of their force comes our way."

"Very well. I'll go support the front. Have Lissa look at her." There was no time to waste. Robin didn't wait for the captain to give a response. He broke into a full sprint towards the front.

Lyn was already fighting against Vasto in the distance. Seeing this made Robin try to move even faster still, gripping onto his tome and sword for dear life. Lyn tried to land an attack, but Vasto moved his wyvern out of the way. One of the creatures wings hit Lyn in the process, pushing her to the ground. Just as Vasto was about to bring down his axe on the greenette, Robin jumped in, parrying the attack away. Vasto's eyes went wide when he saw Robin.

"...So you are the tritour after all," Vasto said. "Too bad. Thought it was some bullshit Gangrel spouted. Didn't take you for the type."

Robin remained silent, opting instead to talk with his weapons. He quickly caster a Ruin spell towards Vasto's mount. It was a hit. The wyvern fell to the ground, bringing down with it its rider. But Vasto wouldn't go down that easily. The rider jumped off before hitting the floor and stood in front of Robin with axe in hand, the two staring at each other now.

"Lyn, go help Chrom," Robin said once Lyn had gotten up.

"But-"

"This is something _I_ have to do..."

He knew that she would want to help him, just as he would've done had their roles been reversed, but he couldn't do that. After much hesitation and one last look at the dark mage, Lyn left to help the prince in combat.

"Sparing 'er from seeing you bleed?" Vasto asked mockingly. "I'll show 'er your head when I'm done with ya."

"We'll see about that." Robin lunged forward, thrusting his sword towards the enemy leader. Vasto was able to jump out of the way before swinging his axe at Robin's head. The tactician was able to also avoid the attack. The two of them kept swinging at each other, but neither of them was able to land a single blow except against each other's steel when one or the other decided to parry.

"Got some fancy work there," Vasto said between breaths. "But it's not enough!" He jumped towards Robin, putting all his energy on the attack. Robin tried avoiding it once again, but he felt how his flesh was cut by the sharp edge of the steel axe. He was in pain, but the attack had only broken the skin. The warm trickle of blood started to spread across his chest as his clothes were soaked in it. "I'll kill ya with the next one."

Vasto tried to land a hit with the same attack, but Robin was able to look through it. As he'd done during his last training session with Lon'qu, he span around when Vasto was in range, avoiding the attack just. He then kicked the man behind his knee, forcing him to hit the floor. The difference between training and real combat was that instead of stopping himself to finish off the enemy, he pushed his sword into Vasto's backbone. The wyvern rider lost the grip on his axe, letting it fall besides him.

Robin took out the sword from his enemy before rolling him around to face him one last time. In the distance, everyone had seen what had happened. The enemies that remained were fleeing, being chased by Phila's pegasus knights, Virion, and the other casters.

Both Lyn and Chrom walked over to the tactician as they'd seen him kneeling down over Vasto.

"You damned excuse for a man," said Vasto, trying to hide his pain with his harsh words. "Curse you, Rob. Curse you and all those dastard Ylisseans… They killed your _family_! And you help them?" He spat some of the blood that was beginning to pool in his mouth to Robin, hitting him directly across the face. "So much for family, eh?"

When he noticed Chrom standing behind Robin, he addressed him next. "Ya think this is over, princey? Far from it. Killing me won't change anything. Heh… Right now, our brothers already passed your miserable excuse for a border. Go on, you coward! Hide away! They'll find ya! Flee while your subjects get killed, one by one. Let...that blood...stain ya for life…"

Vasto had taken his last breath, leaving the three in stunned silence. Robin ran his hand over the man's face, closing his eyes as his own started to feel watery.

"Robin, you are bleeding," Chrom said after a moment had passed. "You should let Maribelle or Lissa take a look at it before it gets infected."

"He…" Robin tried to talk, feeling a pain in his heart far greater than the wound he'd suffer during combat. "He was from the village I lived in when I first became an apprentice…" Robin took a shaking breath. "We grew up together until I was taken in by Validar... He was such a mama's boy back then… Didn't expect to see him here."

Robin tried to compose himself by rubbing the back of his neck. He refused to look back at Chrom and Lyn. He didn't want them to see him like that. He was forced to bite down on his lip, hard, so that they wouldn't see it quivering.

He'd just killed his friend. The thought of killing his countrymen had crossed him before. He knew that he would be facing many people that would hate him. He'd braced himself for it. But no amount of preparation was enough to face off against someone he'd once considered family.

He felt Lyn's slender arms wrap around him—her head on his back. He tried to muffle a whimper by covering his mouth with a hand, but that wasn't enough. Chrom too tried to make him feel a little better by squeezing his shoulder, although he eventually left Lyn and Robin be to check on Emmeryn.

"I'm so sorry, Mark," Lyn said, almost like a whisper.

"Yeah," Robin said as he squeezed one of her hands. "Me too."

* * *

A little bit of romance here, some comedy there, and just a pinch of tragedy. Man, this chapter is all over the place! It's just how things turned out to be. I decided to take advantage of Vasto to further Robin's background story. What did you guys think? I thought it was a pretty good idea. Plus, it also helped give a little more info about Vasto.

For the romance, I know some of you weren't sure if I would pull the cliche thing of "ah, something happens so they never kiss/confess." I see that all the time on tv, comics, manga, and other stories on here. I know why they do it, you know? But I'm personally a big fan of that. I rather show how they grow as a couple instead of how many times they can get so close only to push each other away. It all comes down to personal preference, I suppose.

Man! All them reviews! I was expecting so many so quick! That was really exciting for me. Now, here we go!

 **Whatstoknow** -Thanks! I'll keep at it for sure. Things are just starting to get exciting. Also, thanks for your continued support :)

 **potatoman098** -I know, right? Gotta play characters on their classes and personalities too. If Robin could just use both of them...! Hahaha! I know what you mean about Robin x Lyn. I wish the tactician in Rekka No Ken could have supports. Mark and Lyn are cannon for me, no matter what _anyone_ says.

 **starlightkitsune2178** -...You've given me much to think about... Yes... mwahahahaha! That's something to consider for future chapters. I may be able to find a way to make it work! Thanks!

 **speedking535** -You know it! Best couple in the house!

 **Ethereal780** -Choo choo! (I know it sounds like a train, but I swear it's a ship!)

 **Antiques thief** -I had a plan for something like that in the future, actually. I'm pretty sure that in one of the previous games something similar happened and it cause all characters movement to be cut _significantly_.

 **werehogdog** -Thanks a lot. I hope you approve with what I went with for this one :P

 **Sugouxxx** -Hahahahaha! Well, I _think_ I did what you wanted, heh.

 **LiamReyas** -Okay, this is a long one (not complaining at all!) Really appreciate you leaving reviews on previous chapters as well. It lets me know which ones are doing better, after all. I thought that if I was going to do a novelization, I might as well make it more interesting. Rekka No Ken is still my top FE game, so combining these two made sense to me. Just took advantage of the Lyn's DLC. -Hey, that works too! Sometimes I just read something without trying to pick every minor detail. I think in Gangrel's case in the game it was because he didn't know about Robin. Aversa, on the other hand, who knows why she didn't say anything about him. In the case of my story, I want Robin to be the clear focus of it all, so it made sense to me to have them talk to him as well. -I played the game so many times that I got to use all characters to a certain extent. It also helps that I never was much to keep track of stats and what not *shrug* I'll try to bring in details about the Black Fang more in the future, as the story progresses. This first arc makes it difficult to interlace that original plot in, so there's only so much I'll be able to do until the end of it. That said, I do have at least one big thing coming up related to it~ P.S. I've read two of your stories, actually (Miriel's Love Story and a few chapters of Love, Life, and Peril long before I made an account on FF1) Pretty cool stories. I should keep on reading the latter when I find some extra time. I remember enjoying it a lot back then. Anyways, just wanted to say that too :P


	13. And so I fell

I was amazed that chapter 11 brought in a thousand views so quickly, but last chapter blew that out of the water! In less than 30 hours it brought over a thousand views. I feel pretty good about that. The fact that all chapters are consistently getting more and more views is also good! More new readers are coming!

Going from the reviews on last chapter, you guys are enjoying this. I hope you like this one as well. I know I did when I was coming up with it.

In other news, I might get a project as a freelancer for a museum exhibit. Not exactly what I was thinking when I got my degree in Game Development, but at least I'll get to work with VR if I do land it. Wish me luck!

Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think and to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 13: And so I fell  
_

One by one they were coming at him. He tried to get away—to run away from them as fast as he could. They kept coming at full speed, weapons on their hands, ready to take him down the first chance they got. He was trapped, running in a straight line with walls to both his left and his right. If he were to stop or even slow down for just a second, they would reach him. But the more he ran, the more he was aware that he was going nowhere. The pattern on the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling just kept repeating over and over again, as if he was stuck on a constant loop.

Was he really trapped? Was the only way to be safe to stop and fight back? He looked at the faces of his pursuers. He knew all of them well. There was the butcher's boy, the girl that worked at the bakery, the siblings that lived next to him, the daughter of the village elder, and the young guard of the town. All of them had bloodlust in their eyes. They wanted to kill him.

Panting, he finally came to a stop. He took out his sword, ready to fight them off. Maybe he wouldn't have to kill them. Maybe he could just reason with them and have them leave. There was no reason to fight. And if it came down to that, he could try to knock them out. Yes. That's what he would do. He had nothing to lose. If he kept running he would only lose all those "maybes" and die without a chance to fight back.

One by one they came at him, wielding swords, lances, axes, and even a pitchforks. He yelled at them to stop—they could find another way than to fight. They weren't having any of it. Steel clashed as he defended himself from the incoming attacks. But he was outnumbered. It wasn't long before the first hit got him. Then a second, and then a third. His flesh ripped and his blood splattered on the ground and the walls. As he was hit for the fourth time, his sword hand opened, letting his weapon hit the ground, the sound echoing down the corridor. He fell over backwards, his butt hitting the ground hard. He extended his hand to them, pleading to them to stop.

One of them moved towards him. Their weapon went up over their head, ready to bring them down. They weren't going to listen… To them, he was no longer a friend. He was their enemy. A traitor. He had to die. That was the purpose that drove them forward. They'd chased after him for long enough. They would end it right then and there.

His survival instinct kicked in. A sudden burst of energy flooded his arm as magic gathered in his palm. He could feel a burning sensation as the flow of magic moved towards his open palm. The attackers hesitated at seeing this. There was an odd red aura coming off of his entire arm. And just when things couldn't get any more strange, a red lightning rod shot out of his hand, striking the one before him through the heart.

They fell to the ground instantly, all life leaving their body as they hit the floor. The others just looked at him in shock. He was in shock too. He'd never seen anything like _that_ kind of magic before. What's more, he didn't even feel like he'd _used_ any of it. Suddenly, he stood up, feeling more assured about the situation. He pointed his hand at the others that were still standing, trying to threaten them not to come any closer. For a moment it worked. That is, until all of them came at him simultaneously.

And one by one he struck them down with that same power. His friends. His family. So easily. He didn't even hesitate. He stood there, motionless, simply looking at the bodies gathered around his feet. His eyes went wide as he clutched his head. What had he done? What kind of monster would do something like that? But there was no going back. Forward. He had to move forward. Still, he couldn't help but let out a dreadful cry in desperation. If this was on the path, what would he find at the end?

Robin shot up to a sitting position, confused about what was going on. He could feel his forehead drenched in a cold sweat. He was breathing heavily, gasping for air as if he'd been held underwater against his will for a long time. He moved his left hand to his chest to calm down. His heart was racing like never before. He recalled the images he'd seen just moments before. That red glow he'd seen before… He had to make sure it wasn't there. He tried to move his right hand to get a look at it, but found it to be impossible. When he turned to see the reason why, he saw that someone was holding onto it, clutching it unintentionally. Lyn was there, sleeping besides him.

 _That's right_ , he thought. _We were on our way to the eastern palace when we were attacked by Vasto and his men_. The idea calmed him somewhat. Still thinking about having killed Vasto bothered him. After the fight, Chrom had given the order to make camp there for the night so that they all could get some rest and think about what their next move would be, or so had Lyn told him. Robin hadn't seen the bluenette since the fight was over.

He couldn't recall much else except for the fact that she'd stuck by his side for the rest of the day. The reason she was there was because he'd refused to go to sleep, saying that he needed to go over logistics for their next move, but she practically forced him to go to sleep. She even went as far as to stay there to make sure he got some sleep. That was probably why she was still there. She'd fallen asleep while on the watch, understandably so as she too had used a lot of her energy fighting and then helping him through his dark moment.

Seeing her there calmed him down. Taking a few deep, long breaths he was able to get his heart to slow down to a more normal pace. He rubbed away the sweat drops from his brow and stared off into the darkness. With no light coming in, he wondered what time it was. Not feeling like going back to sleep out of concern that he would go return to the same nightmare, the tactician decided to go out for a walk instead. But first, there was something he had to do.

It was funny how Lyn was always one of the early birds, but was a surprisingly a heavy sleeper. She was half on the bed and half on the ground, which Robin didn't like. He was able to get his hand free from her grip without moving her too much. Next, he rolled her over onto the spot he'd occupied for the night on the bedroll, being careful not to be too rough. She didn't have any complaints. The only thing coming from her was the faint sound of her breathing. Seeing her like that, Robin couldn't help but smile. He would have to thank her for all she'd done for him when he got the chance. The last thing he did was pull the covers over her. It's wasn't too windy out there nor particularly cold. It was just out of habit.

With the hardest part done, he could leave his tent without worrying about her. He thought for a second if she would be mad that he'd left like that in the middle of the night, but he decided to deal with that later on. He walked towards the table where his others things had been set—his tome, his cloak, and his sword. A sigh left his lips as he noticed the big tear on the fabric. Sewing was something he was decent at, but he was more concerned about what he had to sew. His shirt was a different matter. The tear on that was much larger, but he wasn't particularly attached to that piece of clothing.

 _I wonder where I can get some string_ , he thought. No doubt, no one would have any with them. String wasn't something that soldiers would carry around unless there was a lack of healers, as it could be used to suture wounds. Speaking of which, he noticed that the wound he'd received during battle was no longer there. For that to happen, a healer would've had to use a staff. He couldn't remember being healed at all! That was embarrassing. One more person to thank, although he would have to ask who it'd been first. Something told him it had to be Maribelle's doing. He would've remembered Lissa doing so.

With no other choice, he put on the cloak without hesitation—damaged or not, it was still a good cloak that meant a lot to him. He quickly gathered his things and, making sure not to be too noisy, walked out of the tent.

Outside wasn't that much lighter than the inside of the tent. The ground was lit only by the moonlight. The campsite was almost entirely silent. It was eerie, as this was the first time he'd seen it like that. Usually it was lively with all the Shepherds walking around, but now, there wasn't a soul to speak of. It made sense. They were all sleeping, judging from the the moon still being out. If there were others awake, it would be those standing guard, but they would be making their rounds just outside the camp's perimeter.

Robin walked aimlessly until he spotted the glow of a fire at the edge of camp. There were some stools around it, which he concluded were used during dinner. Not wanting to disturb anyone's sleep, he decided to make his way over and rest there for a while. But as he got closer, he noticed a figure of a woman staring into the fire. She looked somewhat depressed. She had her arms wrapped around her legs, her knees partially covering her face. He had to take a second look to recognize who it was. He didn't know her name, but he'd seen her arrive during their last battle. She'd been the one that told Phila about the border being lost.

Calmly, he walked over towards her. "Hello," he said as he approached her.

The woman jumped, quite literally, to her feet. She picked up a lance that she'd brought with her and pointed it towards Robin out of instinct. Surprised by her actions, Robin showed her his hands to prove that he meant no harm.

"A Plegian…?" She muttered under her breath while keeping her eyes on the tactician. "I should've known that there would be more of you. Do you intend to ambush us again?!"

"Peace! I'm not your enemy," Robin said. "My name is Robin. I'm the Shepherds tactician." Despite the situation and how nervous he was from having the point of a lance so close to his throat, he tried to keep his voice down. He didn't want to wake any of the others up.

"Robin?" The girl repeated, her posture relaxing somewhat. It only hit her after a long silent moment who he was. "My apologize, Sir Robin. I just assumed-"

"It's alright. It's an easy mistake to make. No harm done." Both of them let out a sigh of relief at the same time, which caused Robin to smile. Phila or Chrom would've told her that they did in fact have Plegians on their ranks and not to harm them. "You can drop the "Sir" too. I'm nothing more than a commoner," he explained. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," she said as she sat back down. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone at this time. I just couldn't sleep…"

"That makes two of us." He walked over to the closest seat and sat down. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier."

"My name is Cordelia. It's...nice to meet you." She eyed him for a second before she spoke up again. "Your clothes…"

He looked down to take a look at himself. "Yeah, I thought for a while about changing to something that would make me look less...Plegian? I'm certain that if I did so more people would feel at ease around me and would keep others from making the same mistake you did. But these have sentimental value to me."

She slowly shook her head. "No, I didn't mean that. I meant that there are tears on them. From battle?"

"Ah…" He didn't really want to think about it, so he would try to stir the conversation away from it. "I, ugh...wanted to get them fixed, but I doubt I'll be able to get to it until we reach a town."

"If you don't mind, I could do it for you."

Robin looked at her for a second, confused. "There is no need for that."

"It's alright. I'm quite skilled with string and needle." She got up and walked over to him, extending a hand towards him when she got close enough. "I could do it right now, if you like."

It turned out that she was as good as she said. It took her only a fraction of the time it would have taken him. It was such fine work that the tear and stitching blended almost entirely with the fabric, making it hard to spot unless he looked hard enough for it. When he praised her for her work, she insisted to do his shirt too. He wondered where she'd gotten the string from and why she was even carrying it with her, but in the end, she was able to convince him to hand over the shirt. He noticed that she stared at the different scars on his torso before grabbing the shirt and working on it. Not liking being so exposed, Robin covered himself with the newly fixed cloak on. Neither of them said anything as she worked on the shirt. All Robin did was look at how she seamlessly made it so that her work was hard to spot. He could learn a thing or two from her.

He was quick to put the shirt back on as soon as she handed it over. By then, the sun was starting to come up. Soon he would have to go to the war counsel. Because of the events of the previous day, he was out of the loop on the details regarding how the border was lost. Thankfully, Cordelia knew all about that. Robin went on to ask her a few questions about it, dancing around any topics that the girl would be uncomfortable to talk about, like anything related to the people lost. He focused on the enemy instead. How many did she think attacked? How long did the engagement last before she was ordered to leave? What about the enemy formation? And so on.

She was a good sport, answering to the best of her abilities. If he noticed that she was too shaken up on a certain subject, he would back off. He didn't know her well, but he felt bad for her when she clenched her hands or looked down at the ground.

After a while, Robin felt comfortable enough to call it there. "You've been a great help, Cordelia," he reassured her as he stood up to stretch his back. "Both for the information and helping me with my clothes. You'll make a good addition to our ranks, whether you stay with the Pegasus Knights and protect the Exalt or you come with the Shepherds."

She stood up, as if someone had called for an assembly, and looked at him straight on. "Thank you, Robin. I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you will." He offered her a smile. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with Chrom to go to." Her reaction at the mention of the prince's name was an odd one. Why would she even react to that?

The two bid their farewells and Robin was able to head towards Chrom's tent, which was easy to spot as it was one of the largest ones in camp, second only to that of Emmeryn. Once again, he was the first one to arrive there. That wasn't surprising, as he'd been up all night. He didn't have to go through the hassle that was waking up and getting ready. He announced himself before Chrom gave him the go ahead to enter the tent.

"Good to see you're here early," said Chrom as he gave him a worried look. "How are you holding up?"

Robin let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head. He knew that this conversation was unavoidable. But what could he tell him? It hadn't even been a full day since everything went down. Telling him a lie would probably put the bluenette at ease...but it wouldn't feel right to lie about it.

"As good as you would expect, given the circumstances," Robin said. "But we have a war to deal with. No amount of self pity will make it stop. For now, as long as we keep moving forward I'll be fine."

Chrom half smiled at him. "As the leader of this army, I'm glad to hear you say that. But as your friend? You should find a way to vent or else it will consume you. Bottling up all those feelings is not going to do you any good."

"Fully noted." The prince wasn't saying anything that Robin himself hadn't thought about before. Keeping good mental health was as important if not more than physical health to a soldier. If he were to push himself past a limit, he could very well enter a dark spot that he could never come back from.

"Next time we get the chance, make sure to take some time for yourself and just relax. Who knows? Maybe you could even bring a certain lady friend with you." Chrom grinned. He hadn't said a name, but it was quite clear who he was referring to.

Robin rolled his eyes. He wondered if Chrom would keep pushing that topic again and again. Although, he would be lying if he said that the idea wasn't tempting. Perhaps he would follow his friend's advice in the future. He wouldn't hold out for that, though. There was no way of telling when and even if there would be a chance for an outing like that anytime in the near future.

"Excuse me, milord," Frederick said as he entered the tent. "We are ready for to begin." Robin was glad to see the knight. It would turn the spotlight from him and his love life for the time being. Followed by Frederick, Phila and Emmeryn made their way in. Soon, the four of them found themselves on the same spots around the table with the maps and wooden figurines on top that they were fast growing used to.

The five of them remained silent as they analyzed the map, that is, except for Robin. He was looking at the faces around him. It seemed that everyone had something on their minds, but didn't know how to bring it up. The uneasy atmosphere had to be broken, and if no one else was going to do it, then Robin would take the first step.

Approaching the table a little more he said, "from our current location, we are half a day away from our destination on the long end if we do not encounter any more Plegian forces or Risen. If we hurry and step it up, we could get there by noon."

"Then we should get ready to depart as soon soon as possible," said Chrom as he nodded in agreement. "The plan should still be the same as it was yesterday. The sooner we get to the palace, the sooner we can ask Khan Flavia for support." At those words, Emmeryn fidgeted. She looked uneasy with the idea of moving forward.

"Is everything alright, Your Grace?" Robin asked, which made everyone turn to look at the Exalt with concern. She, however, still looked like she was gathering her words. "Do you perhaps think there is a better move we could make?"

The small push was all she needed. With resolve in her eyes, she looked at everyone around them. "...We may be able to have that time to spare. The villagers near the border and even the citizens of Ylisstol, may not have that luxury."

"Right," said Chrom. "That's why I was saying we should move with haste-"

"No, Chrom… I will be going back to Ylisstol." Her words came to a shock for everyone. Stunned, all they could do was look at her. She wanted to head back to the enemy path! It was suicide!

"Emm...you can't be serious," Chrom finally spoke up, some sweat forming on his forehead. "You can't go back! It isn't safe. We are so close now to the palace. Another half a day won't do-"

"Another day, you mean," Emmeryn interrupted. "You would have to come back this way to head to Regna Ferox. And that's without taking into account any time you might need to gather more supplies.

"No, I'm going back. There is no time to spare. From the beginning, I should never have left the palace. You would be well past the border by now if we hadn't taken this detour. I won't stand on a palace, safe, while my subjects are being slaughtered left and right. Now more than ever they will need guidance a midst uncertainty."

"Your Grace! Please, reconsider," Phila said, fear showing on her voice.

"Phila, you of all people should know that I won't change my mind." Phila took a step back. "Please understand. My people need me."

"Your Grace… I understand… Then I along the rest of my knight will escort you back and keep you safe."

"Have you lost your mind, Phila?!" Chrom's voice was much more agitated than before. He had slammed his hands on the table, leaning on it. "Emm, you've already sacrificed so much for what's best for the people. Be selfish for once! Put yourself first. They will understand!"

Emmeryn shook her head. "Have you forgotten, Chrom? The Hierarch, one of our most trusted individuals, betrayed us as soon as the situation looked grim. Who's to say that others won't do the same? How many lives will we lose from an internal conflict?"

"It could turn into a coup d'etat…" said Robin, cringing for just imagining it. "If that were to happen, we will have much more to face than just the Mad King's army."

"Thank you, Robin," Emmeryn said, giving a slight bow.

"Not you too, Robin…" The way Chrom looked at him was enough to make his heart sink. It felt like he'd betrayed his friend. But Chrom had to understand that they were fighting for much more than just one person, even if it was that individual's idea that they were chasing after.

"Logistically speaking, it's what's best, Chrom," the tactician tried to explain. "If Emmeryn remains in Ylisstol people will stand their ground. If word got out that she escaped the city even before the border fell it will create a panic."

"But-"

"That's enough, Chrom," Emmeryn said, her usual motherly tone replaced by one of authority. "I am still the Exalt. As such, I _order_ you to head for Regna Ferox immediately. You will also take the Fire Emblem with you and keep it safe."

"Emmeryn, please," Chrom said, but didn't get a chance to continue.

"Gangrel is after the Emblem. If you have it with you, even if he were to take the city, I'm certain you will be able to stop him." She turned to look at Robin. "If the Shepherds were to go leave for Ferox from here, how long would it take them to reach the capital?"

Robin rubbed his chin, the stubble prickling at his hand. "We are better suited and better position for travel this time around. If we split our supplies with the Pegasus Knights… We could get there by nightfall if we don't make any stops."

Emmeryn nodded. "Very well, then that's what you will do."

"Yes, Your Grace…" What she meant was that she was going back and buy them time. And for them to come back, they would need to bring reinforcements with them. He admired her courage as a leader, but feared for her safety.

"I shall assign Cordelia to the Shepherds," said Phila. She'd regained her composure and was stoic as ever. "She is one of our best, despite how young she is. There are still many things that she has to experience. I know she will be in better hands with you than with us."

With one last goodbye, the two women left the tent, despite Chrom's protests. Robin exchanged a look with Frederick. The knight knew exactly what he meant with it, as he gave him a nod. He would've wanted to stay there and help Chrom come to terms with Emmeryn's decision, but he needed to go to the wagon and divvy up the supplies.

He caught up with Phila and Emmeryn quickly. He told them that they should go over the inventory, to which Phila nodded.

It was easy work, but Robin got no pleasure out of it. It only kept him distracted. He knew that it wasn't his place to question Emmeryn's decision, especially when he knew it was the best one too. Still, it was hard to remain quiet. She had to know she was walking a fine line between life and death. One wrong move and Chrom or Lissa would have to take her place.

The brunette was somehow able to manage to keep his thoughts to himself. Phila gathered up the Pegasus Knights quickly, and Robin handed them a calculated amount of supplies like food, water, and medicine that could come in handy. He looked at all of them. Half a dozen Pegasus Knights plus Phila. That was all the defense that Emmeryn could count on until they reached the relative safety of the palace. Then she would have the royal guard, but he wondered if even that would be enough.

As Emmeryn was getting back in the carriage, she took one last look at the camp. "Promise me you will look out for my brother and sister, Robin," she said, looking directly at him. "I know that if there's someone that can keep them safe, it is you."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that. He just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, a simple, "of course, Your Grace." And then they were gone. The figures vanished into the distance, heading south-west back to the capital. He was still staring off into the distance when a voice snapped him out of it.

"You got out of bed really early and still didn't shave?" Lyn asked behind him. He turned to look at her. She didn't seem pleased at all. Then again, she could just be teasing him again. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her to try and find out which one it was. "But at least you got your clothes fixed." She looked at his chest area. "You can barely tell they were torn just a few hours ago."

"Enough with the beard thing already," he said disheartened, hunching over slightly. "I'll shave it off after breakfast."

"Glad to hear that you'll have something to eat today."

Robin shrugged. "I can only do so much with a piece of toast in me." Lyn smiled at him, half chuckling. "Come. We should hurry before there is nothing left."

The two were amongst the first to get served that morning. Thankfully, Sully wasn't assigned to cooking duty, much to Robin's delight. Because of how the camp was setup, there was no place for them to sit but the ground. That's when Lyn suggested they sit near one of the trees on the mountain side. "We'll get some shade and the grass will be more comfortable than dirt or stone," she said.

The atmosphere was nice. It wasn't too hot, but it wasn't cold. There was a breeze, but it didn't bother either of them. The food was pretty good—being smoked bacon and scrambled eggs—a good breakfast indeed. And, above all else, the company was nice. They talked for a bit, Lyn mentioning how it was that she fell asleep in his tent, and Robin talking about how Cordelia's stitch-work was very impressive. He couldn't help but laugh as he thought about what Chrom had said about having a relaxing time with a lady friend. _I bet this is not what he had in mind_ , Robin thought as he smirked.

"I should really thank you, Lyndis," he told her as he set down his plate on the grass besides him. "You helped me out a lot yesterday. Even now, you are still looking out for me, aren't you?"

Lyn looked happy. "You are very welcome," she said. "But don't think for a second I wouldn't do it. Remember what I told you, I will be watching your back. That is a promise."

Robin scratched the back of his head, embarrassed, but still smiling. He brought his hand down, but this time, he held hers. To think that the delicate hand he was holding on his own could move a sword with such speed and grace that had taken down so many enemies before… "I'll look out for you too," he said.

Lyn looked at him. "Don't be silly, Mark. You are already looking out for everyone."

He couldn't understand if what he was trying to say blew over her head or if she was teasing again. To make sure, he would make it absolutely clear. "That's not...what I meant." He leaned in and gave her the lightest of kisses on her lips. She didn't pull back. If anything, she pushed forward a bit.

"Oh…"

As tender as the moment was, it came to an abrupt end when a certain knight clad in blue coughed into his fist a couple of times to gain their attention.

Robin moved back instantly, his face flaring up. He'd forgotten there were others around them! The faint sound of voices and practice swords hitting each other should have been a give away, but he'd tuned them out completely.

"I'm sorry to interrupt.," said Frederick. "We are starting the preparations for our departure. I suggest you go take down your tents as quick as possible. Lord Chrom wants to take full advantage of daylight."

 _Aaaand that's why romance in the battlefield is so difficult_ , Robin thought. The two of them quickly got on their feet after collecting their plates and headed back to the camp.

"Ah, before I forget," he said after leaving his plate on a box that had all the dirty plates. "I was thinking that perhaps we could...do something when we get back to Ferox." He didn't have any idea as to what they could do. He knew nothing about the Feroxi capital except for what was around of Arena Ferox.

"Oh, I like the sound of that," she said with excitement to spare. "We should tell Isadora too. I'm sure she would enjoy taking a look around the city."

The tactician laughed nervously. That had confirmed his thoughts that she couldn't read the underlying meaning behind his words. "I was thinking it could be just the two of us… As in a date." He felt like they'd skipped a few steps. But then, had they done things in the traditional order, would that make any difference? There were people that would go directly to marriage!

"A-Ah!" This time it was her who was flustered. "Yes, I would like that..."

They eventually had to go their separate ways, not deciding on any details. They both had to know that even if they planned something, there could be no time for it. Instead of getting their hopes too high up, it was best just to toy with the idea for the time being.

The morning training had been cancelled for the day. Because of that, camp was packed quickly and they were able to set off almost two hours ahead of schedule. Chrom was really going to push them to reach Regna Ferox in one go, as Robin had said it was possible. They were informed that they wouldn't be stopping until they reached their final destination. The order was not questioned. By then, Frederick had informed everyone about Emmeryn going back to the capital. They all knew what that would mean. Everyone shared Chrom's sense of urgency, even if they didn't say it.

Hours passed. The terrain changed. Snow started to fall. They were at the wall around noon that day. Robin took it as a good sign. They were going much faster than he'd calculated that morning. However, he was also worried that pushing the horses so much would cause them to collapse. The snow would force them to slow their pace, giving the horses a breather, but he worried about that being enough for them to hold out. Like the soldiers, the horses weren't getting any food, drink, or rest until they reached Arena Ferox.

Thankfully, they also had pegasai with them. Robin would send orders to both Sumia and Cordelia to scout ahead areas that he thought could be a problem to them, as well as search for alternate routes they could use. They would report their finding to Chrom, though, as he was the head of the convoy. When possible, Robin would even use Eagle Eye to check the terrain further ahead. The ability had turned out to be of a lot more used than he'd initially intended it for. Unfortunately for him, the thick canopy of trees around them made it difficult to spot any danger lurking their way. Then again, Frederick the Wary would take care of anything that could pose as a threat to Chrom and Lissa. Robin had seen the knight literally clearing out every single rock on their path in the past. The man took his job overboard.

As the sun was setting in the horizon, they finally spotted the all too familiar amphitheater that was Arena Ferox. It was the boost that they all needed. With their destination in sight, they all picked up the pace that much more. It would get dark before they finally reached the city gates.

With the encounter with Remi still fresh on his mind, Robin was half expecting having to fight again in order to talk with the khans. There hadn't been any trouble at the border, so there just _had_ to be something there, right? Things couldn't just be that easy. Wrong. They were cordially greeted by the guards, one of them even offering to take them to see the khans directly.

Just like that, Chrom, Frederick, and Robin found themselves being escorted to the grand hall in Arena Ferox while the rest of the Shepherds were shown to some lodging meant for guests of the khans and were going to be fed too. Even the horses were looked after, which took a load off of Robin's mind. Gods knew the creatures deserved some rest and pampering too after what they'd been put through.

A guard opened a door to the grand hall and allowed the three of them to step inside. The room, as grand as it was, was not empty. Both of the khans were there to meet them in person. How they'd known that they would be getting a visit was beyond Robin. He wouldn't deny that he was happy to see them both again, especially as they smiled and approached them to greet them as if they were all friends.

"I know what bring you here today," said Flavia, taking on a more serious tone fitting of a leader of a nation. "He got word earlier today about Plegian forces attacking the border with Ylisse."

"I know this isn't ideal after you've already provided up with some of your troops, Khan Flavia, but we were hoping you could spare us more," Chrom said. "As we stand, we are vastly outnumbered against Gangrel's army. Between them and the Risen, we have no forces other than the Shepherds to mount an offensive. We were hoping that you could lend us your strength-"

Flavia raised her hand, having heard enough from the bluenette. "No need to be so formal, Chrom. We will provide the troops." Basilio nodded in agreement as he grinned. "We've already sent a call to arms not long before you arrived. Give it some time and we'll get together a fine group of lads to come with us."

"Time is something we don't have much to spare," Chrom confessed. "With the speed with which the Plegians are moving, an attack on Ylisstol is imminent. My sister, the Exalt Emmeryn, is currently there, trying to keep panic from growing."

"We're not saying we aren't going to attack, lad," said Basilio. "We simply ask to give some time to think things over. We can't charge in blindly at the enemy with just _any_ soldier that wants to make a name for themselves. If we're to do this, we need to nitpick who we bring with us."

"The oaf is right," said Flavia. "As much as I would love to bring in everyone with us and have more join us as they come, that won't do. I won't send our people to their deaths so lightly, even if they want to gain fame from it."

"I understand," Chrom said. "That is something we've discussed before… My apologies. I don't mean to rush you."

"It's all good, lad," said Basilio. "You say you've discussed the matter before. So? What you have for us?" Chrom turned to look at Robin, who stepped forward.

"We got word from someone that was at the border during the attack," the tactician said. "She was able to give us a lot of information about the enemy troops we will be encountering as we march towards Plegia. We devised a strategy to deal with the situation as swiftly as possible while keeping our casualties at an absolute minimum.

"First, we'll need five hundred able bodies to join us as the main attack force. Seventy archers, sixty casters, at least twenty healers, seventy to eight cavalry, and the rest can be a combination of spearmen, axemen, and swordsmen. Any long range units, like wyvern or pegasus riders, are a plus, but not entirely necessary. With these, we will drive in deep into enemy territory. The goal is to bring down King Gangrel."

"What of the occupied cities and villages? Are we to ignore them?" Flavia asked.

"No, that's where the second force comes in. That can be as big as you can get it to be. They should follow behind the main force, but will be taking care of any enemy forces that stand between Ylisstol and the border. The main attack force will act as a wedge, diving Gangrel's army in two. That will make them easier to deal with the overwhelming numbers that would follow."

The khans exchanged looks as they pondered about the plan.

"Sounds like suicide for the attacking force," Flavia finally said. "Then again, I've heard that you Shepherds have gone into battle with the odds on the enemy's favor again and again and still come out victorious without a single life lost on your ranks… I like it. You can count me in! I'll even go with you! Gods know that my sword could use a few more deadly swings."

"You are either a genius or a madman, tactician," said Basilio. "We'll have to wait and see which one you turned out to be. But don't think that I'll be staying behind either. If we are doing this, then I'll also come with you. Ha!"

"Two down, four hundred and ninety-eight to go," Robin joked.

"How long would it take to get that many men?" Chrom asked.

"Five hundred aren't that many," Flavia said. "Anywhere from two to four days, depending on how fast the messengers carry the word around.

"For the time being, you should have your people rest, Chrom. Have them take advantage of some leisure time while they still can. Eat, drink, fight, and sleep. That's what you all need! And if they still need more, they can always do the _other_ type of sleeping." She laughed, but Robin felt a bit uncomfortable with the sexual innuendo, and guessing by how Chrom flared up, he was too.

The next morning, Chrom gathered his troops to announce the plan as well as give them some time to spend however they liked. Robin, thinking that he would take advantage of the occasion, decided to ask Lyn about going around the city in the afternoon, to which she agreed. Thankfully, she'd spend some time around there before they met up. She would know what was worth doing in the short time they would have to themselves. The two decided to meet at the entrance of the arena a few hours later. They parted ways after eating breakfast together to deal with a few things on their own end.

The Plegian had to have a brief talk with the khans about gathering supplies and going over the number of recruits they'd gained since they'd put the word out. Overall, it wasn't too bad. It was better than having to deal with the constant fighting, although it wasn't as exciting. Chrom caught him after that. The two trained for a couple of hours as they too discussed certain logistics about their next move on the war. The prince wanted to move their main force to Ylisstol first to prevent any enemies from going past them when they started their march west. It was a reasonable idea, so Robin told him it would be up to him to decide. Robin was the tactician, but Chrom was the one that would be leading the army into battle. The final say would always be on him.

By the time the two were done with training, Robin still had some time to kill. That is until he saw Miriel sitting at a bench. The scroll in his pocket quickly popped into his mind. He'd wanted to ask her about it for some time, but hadn't had a chance to. Seeing her alone then was as close as he would ever get. He quickly approached the scholar, making his presence known by calling out to her.

"Good afternoon, Robin," she said as she closed her book. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Right," Robin said, taken aback by her forwardness. "I was hoping you could help me with something, if you had the time."

"Certainly, although I don't know of how much use I would be given that warfare is not in my area of expertise."

"No, no! It has nothing to do with what's currently going on." She kept a cool air around her, just staring at him. "It's more of a personal favor…"

"A personal favor? If I may ask, why do you come to me with such a matter? As I understand, personal favors are a benefit that two parties share when they've reached a certain point in their friendship, no?"

"You aren't entirely wrong, I guess… Wait, Miriel, do you not consider us friends?" Robin asked, a little worry sipping out.

"Hmm…"She looked away, giving it a thoughtful moment before going back to look at the brunette. "I hadn't thought about it before. There are many benefits from having friends, as per social norm. But do they weight fairly against the hindrances from managing such a bond with someone else...? Should I consider us friends?"

"Umm… I think you are overthinking this… For what it's worth, I do consider you a friend. I consider all Shepherds friends, actually-Well, maybe not all of them. Sully and Vaike are more like...acquaintances?"

"Sharing a common goal and working together towards it can bring two people to the status of "friends"? Fascinating."

"Riiight… But going back to what I mentioned before—we can call it a trade if you prefer. I can teach you some things about dark magic if you can help me. How about that?"

"You make an interesting offer, Robin. Then, what would you like me to help you with?" Robin took out the scroll from the inner pocket of his cloak. Giving it one last look, he handed it over to Miriel, who stared at it like a predator to its prey.

"I was hoping you could help me translate that. I took a look at it, but I just can't tell what's written on it. I heard from Sumia that you'd been reading about languages before, so I thought if there was anyone that would be able to help me, then it would be you."

She remained quiet as she studied the scroll, looking over the parchment. She didn't open it up. She just stared at it.

"Is something wrong?" Robin asked.

"You can learn a great deal about a language from the medium the writer chose. I'm analyzing the paper quality as well as the fine detail in decoration that was put into the outside of it. This tells me that whatever this is meant to be, it's not just _some_ scroll."

She was good! She'd arrived at a similar conclusion he had just by looking at the paper. He had a lot more information that she had, and he had gotten no where. He pumped his fist in his mind, glad to see that he'd made the right call.

"Why don't you hold onto it for now? I can't expect you to tell me all about it off the bat. I'll check with you every now and again to see how things are going. I might be able to help with a few things if you're ever stuck on something."

"Very well. I'll keep it safe. This is the first time I see something like this. I'll make sure nothing happens to it."

"That would be great." He smiled at her. "Well, I'll leave you to your book. I have somewhere I should be right now. You should think about relaxing too, you know?" She remained quiet. Whether she felt insulted by that or she was over analyzing what he said, he didn't know. He waved her goodbye and left the area. He would be meeting up with Lyn soon.

 _I should head to the meeting point_.

"Robin," a familiar voice called out to the tactician, who turned to look at the owner of said voice. It was Marth. How she'd gotten there unnoticed by anyone else baffled him all the more. "May I have a moment?"

He hesitated, as he was on his way to meet up with Lyn. But then, how long could they take? There was no sense of urgency in her voice, which told him that whatever she wanted to say was not of much importance. Although, if she had sought him out, the least he could do was to hear her out. He gave her a small nod and said to go ahead.

"I thank you," she said, her expression not telling him much. "I understand that you are of Plegia? I'm sure this war must be very difficult for you." Robin raised an eyebrow. Was that what she wanted to talk about? She continued, "you've fought for Ylisse bravely, and for that too you have my thanks."

"...I don't understand," Robin said, confused. "Where is all of this coming from?"

Ignoring him, she continued. "You helped saved the Exalt not once, but twice. And although she didn't come to Regna Ferox, I am sure she is safe." She looked down at her feet, a small smile crossing her lips. "Things are different now… It won't turn out the same way it did before…" She looked up at him, her smile still showing.

Robin felt a jolt shoot up his spine. Her eyes, or rather, her eye… "Who are you…?" Robin asked, becoming more defensive at the realization. Because she'd been wearing a mask before, he hadn't had a chance to look at her in the eye. And even when that was gone, the commotion with the assassins kept him too preoccupied with defending the Exalt to even look at what had been right in front of him. "You have the brand."

"I am not an enemy," she said. "That much I can tell you. I'm looking after what is best for the Halidom—for the world. To prevent what is to come."

"Why aren't you answering me?" Something wasn't right. The way she was talking was...off. They were both fighting for the greater good. So then, why did he feel the same way he had when he faced off against Vasto? His brain was telling him that the person in front of him wasn't an ally. Not to him. And yet, he couldn't find it in him to move or do anything other than reason with her.

"...But your part in this is done."

Before he knew it, she rushed at him. On her hand, her sword—the Falchion copy. The surprise had been so great that Robin had taken too much time to avoid the attack. He felt the blade dig into his chest, hit his heart, and come out through his back. No one had been around to see it. No one had been around to _prevent_ it. He clutched her arms with the little energy he could spare. His body had gone into overdrive, trying to keep him from losing consciousness.

When she pulled out her sword from him, he fell over face first onto the ground. Had she not stepped back, he would've landed on her. He wanted to scream at her, but the pain was too great to even do that.

"I'm sorry…" he heard her say. "I can't let you get a chance to kill father… The war with Plegia, even without you, will be resolved… I learned all the strategies you used, after all."

He reached his right hand towards her. He was trying to get a hold of her ankle. He wanted her to look at him. If nothing else, she should at least look at him in the eye after what she'd done. But he couldn't reach her. She was already walking away, not looking back. She was getting away! And there was no one to stop her. _Damn it_ , he thought.

There was a more pressing matter. Unless he could stop the bleeding, he would die. He tried rolling onto his back, but was only able to do so half way, ending up on his left side. He could see as the blood poured out of his chest and onto the floor, creating a small red pool. For a second he would see a red glow coming out of it too, similar to the one he'd seen in his dream a few days back.

 _I'm hallucinating_ , he thought. _This is bad._ He had to put some pressure on it or he would bleed out. The great tactician of the Shepherds, the one who'd brought back all the troops that he was in charge of alive, was going to meet his end thanks to a friendly. He moved his hand towards the wound, but he didn't have enough energy left in him to put any pressure on it. His vision was blurring and his body was already going cold.

Then a figure appeared. It looked like it was running towards him. He could barely feel when hands rolled him all the way over to his back. Robin took a look at the person, but the image in front of him was so blurry that he couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman. He could hear this figure saying something, but he couldn't make out what was being said either. Encouraging words, probably. Too bad those words couldn't heal…

Finally, his vision went black. He couldn't fight it anymore. And all he could think of during that last moment was that Lyn was still waiting for him.

* * *

First thing first: who can spot the quote from a different game series in there? It's a pretty popular one (the series.)

A lot of stuff going on on this chapter once again. I kinda like doing things like this. A lot of stuff happens, but in small bursts, so it can be developed through several chapters. I think it's better than just focusing on one thing for an entire chapter. But man! Robin can't catch a break! I like to see him suffer. What can I say? I like being mean to my characters to balance things out, haha!

Onto reviews!

 **Antiques thief** -Yeah, agreed. Though I can't remember the last time I saw them used weather in combat. If you hadn't brought it up, I don't think I would've event thought back on Awakening not doing it. I know that when I bring it in, it will have the same effect on both sides. Fair is fair. As for those spikes, I don't think I've ever heard of that. Sounds like a pain... Kinda want to play that now, just to see how well I do.

 **speedking523** -Both Eliwood and Hector may show up in the future. I can't tell you if and when they would or it would ruin the surprise, but I can tell you that the next character coming up isn't one of them. As for Roy, I don't know yet... _If_ Eliwood does show up, then there's a chance little Roy will make an appearance (as a kid,) but right now I don't have a plan to bring in Roy as a character from his game (teenager.) And as for making Robin be Kris too, I don't have any plans for that at the moment. I never played Fire Emblem 12, so I'm not too familiar with the story or characters. If I can find a ROM I might play it, but even then, there would be no guarantee that I would bring that timeline into the story.

 **Whatstoknow** -Hahaha! Glad you are liking it so much! Unfortunately, no Lissa this chapter (awww.) I already something in mind for her in the near future. Look forward to that!

 **Sugoxxx** -You are very welcome! Them extra ships will start going as I bring more characters from Rekka No Ken. I wonder what other pairing people will start shipping xD Thank you very much!

 **Yellowclover** -Glad to hear that! As for the amnesia buisness, I'll only say you got it partially right. He does have his memories because of that, but that isn't the main reason for it. That will get answered much further down the line, I think. All I can say is to not draw conclusions based on the logic from the game world. I myself have a certain idea of how time travel could work, so you'll see that influence the story's take on it. And Luna? It was a pretty cool spell... Them sprite animations, ugh! Love them! I'll keep it in mind.

 **starlightkitsune2178** -Hehe, good. Expect the unexpected, my friend! Anything goes when Robin has a past!

 **werehogdog** -Thank you very much. I think that because this a novelization, things should move at a certain pace. Focusing too much on one aspect without advancing the story is a big no no for me on this story, at least. I'm happy to see you approve of it. I wasn't too sure if people would've preferred me to go more into detail or just leave it as is.

 **Ethereal780** -That's a very good question. Could be a good idea for a one-shot further down the line... That would suck so much for him. He would end up on what could be an endless cycle of killing for the greater good, even if it costs him the lives of everyone he holds dear. Reminds me of Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate Zero.


	14. And so we waited

Last chapter's reactions were just as I'd expected! I practiced my evil laugh just for this moment! Mwahahaha!

I really appreciate that you guys are giving this story your time. Means a lot to me.

Going with something a bit different this time around. You'll see what I mean once you read it.

Hope you like it! Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think and to follow and/or favorite the story if you really liked it! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 14: And so we waited_

That morning had started out just like any other. Well, that wasn't entirely correct. Instead of walking up on a bedroll laid on the floor in another unknown place in that foreign land, Isadora had woken up on an actual bed, something that she hadn't experienced since she crossed over. It was pleasant, she had to admit to herself, though it was something she would ever let anyone else know. As a knight in service to house Pherae, certain things were expected of her. Complaining about her accommodations weren't one of them.

It was a cold morning. When they got closer to the border with Regna Ferox, as Lord Mark and the Shepherds called it, snow was already falling on the ground. The further they traveled to the capital of this other nation, the more snow they would see. Even if the streets of the capital were cleared out every morning, a new white blanket would cover them before sunrise. Despite the cold, she stood from the rather comfortable bed and walked over to the window. She was surprised to see that crowds were already walking around outside. The city was lively. But she also noticed that about five of every seven people carried with them a weapon, whether it be a sword, a lance, a tome, an axe, or even a staff. This was really a land of fighters, as she'd heard some of the others comment the night before, when the Feroxi had prepared a banquet for them to enjoy.

With the fresh morning breeze coming into the room and chilling her body, she moved to the dresser, where her armor and clothes were being kept. She changed rather quickly. She wore a white one-piece that, just like Lady Lyn's, exposed her legs for better mobility. As a paladin, she couldn't have her legs be restricted by what she wore. Next came thigh-high stockings, the same color as the gloves that reached up to her biceps. The different piece of armor went on top of her clothes. These were white with gold detailing. They were beautiful in her eyes, even with the many dents and scratches the different pieces had suffered through the many battles she'd faced in Elibe and now in Ylisse as well. Her attire was complete when she put on a white cloak that bore the emblem of house Pherae.

She had to sit in front of a mirror to fix her hair. Much like her clothing, she prefered functionality over aesthetics. But, she was still a lady, something she was often reminded of. To compromise, she braided two strands of her hair from either side and then connected them with a pin at the back. This would still show off her long and beautiful blue hair while keeping it in place. With everything done, she only had to grab her sword before she walked out of the room, satisfied.

Another change from the norm was that, again, they were being served breakfast. They would even get to sit on an actual chair and table instead of some log, rock, or the ground. As she looked for a sit, she noticed that Lady Lyn and Lord Mark were both sitting together, chatting away. The two looked really happy. They were smiling and laughing. This brought a smile to the knight. It reminded her of their travels with the Lycian League all those years ago. Those two had always been close. It was different from then, though. From what Lady Lyn had told her, the two had shared a kiss some nights past. The two did give off that aura of a couple. Or maybe she only thought so because she knew about it. Either way, she didn't want to interrupt. She was able to find an open spot at another table, with the rest of the Cavalry; Sir Frederick, Sir Stahl, and Dame Sully, who all had shown her kindness in the past. She got a feeling of unity when she was with them, perhaps because they shared similar abilities in combat. Apart from Lady Lyn and Lord Mark, these three were the least...crazy of them all. The Shepherds were filled with interesting characters, though Isadora couldn't keep up with many of them. The supposed noble, Virion, was too forward with his interest in women. Miriel would focus all her spare time on research that Isadora could only wish to comprehend. Tharja was always too cold, brushing her off most of the time. Vaike, while a good sparring partner, she also found difficult to keep a coherent conversation going for more than just a few minutes. And that's only to name a few. All in all, these people weren't too different from the ones that had gathered around Lord Eliwood six years ago.

As she was eating, the conversation shifted towards her. Before she knew it, Stahl had asked what she would be doing with the free time they were getting. This confused her, as she was not yet aware that they would be granted any free time at all. She knew the reason why they'd redirected themselves to Ferox, but hadn't expected any change in their routines.

"Captain thought we could use a break," said Dame Sully, as she threw a glance over at Isadora followed by a grin. "I know I'm gonna spend my time training and looking after my horse. Can't be too safe, even here."

"I'll gladly give you a routine if you like, Sully," Sir Frederick chimed in, looking as happy as ever. It was no secret that the blue knight's training could be harsh, too much so even. It was something that earned him more respect from Isadora. Not only did he have his hands full trying to protect and give counsel to the prince and the princess, but he would take care of business around camp and even train some of the other Shepherds.

"You better not get sloppy with it," the red-clad knight said. "Last time you brought down the intensity of it. Don't you go thinking I'm some weakling like those others, ya hear?"

Isadora had only known the redhead for a few days, but she could already tell that the girl was one to push herself past her limit in order to get stronger. An admirable trait indeed. Her mind drifted to the idea of having some free time. She too thought about doing some training, but even with the usual training, that would give her more than enough time to do whatever she pleased after lunch. "I suppose I'll have a look around town after training," she told herself, although the others got to hear it as well.

And so breakfast was over. The training that morning was much more intense than usual, as per Dame Sully's request. There were a number of others who dropped out, opting to instead spar against each other, Lord Mark and prince Chrom amongst them—the two were having a heated fight, though the bluenette's ability with a sword was vastly superior than that of the tactician, who'd only picked up the art as of recent, or so she'd been told.

Yes, that day was almost like any other one. That is, until _that_ happened.

Isadora was by the stables, looking after her steed with Dame Sully. The two were having a friendly chat, talking about care for their horses. The Pegasus Knights, Sumia and Cordelia, were also there taking care of their pegasus, having a chat of their own. Panne, the taguel (as she remembered she'd been called,) entered the stables, gasping for air. She held onto the frame of the massive wooden door, just looking at the four ladies there, before scanning the room. Something about her expression didn't look right. The others had sensed it as well, as they all had stopped what they were doing.

Finally, Isadora was the one to speak up. "Is something the matter, Panne? You look flustered"

"I'm looking for the man-spawn tactician," the taguel said, her brow furrowing as she locked eyes with the white knight. "Have you seen him?"

The joyful atmosphere that had been there moments before was replaced with one of tension as they waited for an explanation. Isadora hoped that it wasn't anything serious. It wouldn't be the first time someone had looked for Lord Mark to have a word with him. But then, what was the feeling she was getting? "I have not. Not since this morning." The taguel clicked her tongue and was about to vault when Isadora called out for her. "Panne, wait!" Once more, their eyes met. "...What's happened?"

"I heard him scream out in pain," she informed them, deadpan. "Or try to. I'm not surprised you didn't hear it. I would've dismissed it if it wasn't for the stench of blood that followed."

Sumia gasped behind her. Isadora's mouth was slightly open from what she'd just heard. Her heart rate started speeding up. It'd been her mission to look for Lord Mark and to keep him safe while investigating the rumors about the Black Fang. Had they reached him just when she'd lowered her guard? Had she failed her mission? She tried to push the thoughts aside. First they had to find him to confirm his status.

"Have you any idea of where he is?" Isadora asked.

"No," the taguel admitted as she slowly shook her head. "This blasted place is like a labyrinth! I can't find my way around."

"I will help you search." The knight turned to look at the other women. "Please, give us your aid as well. Inform anyone you see along the way!"

There was no time to wait for a response. With a hand on the hilt of her sword, she ran with Panne through the different hallways in Arena Ferox. Like Panne had said, it was a labyrinth. There were many paths to take, each of which lead to either dead ends or a number of empty rooms. Never before had she hated the architecture of a building as much as she had at that moment. They kept changing directions, trying to follow the path that the tactician's scent was coming from, but to no avail. TIme after time, they were forced to backtrack and try again. Before they knew it, they were starting to see a lot of guards running around the place, weapons at hand. It looked like they too were searching for something or someone. This only made Isadora worry more. She pushed herself to go that much faster.

"There!" Panne yelled as she made a ninety degree turn. Isadora followed after her, but then froze when she saw a pool of blood on the floor. There had to be enough there that whoever it belonged to, they would certainly be dead. She'd slowed down to a stop,her knees shaking as she stared at the blood. She'd been so focused on the red liquid that she'd failed to noticed some of the other Shepherds that were already there.

"What's happened to the tactician?" Panne asked one of them.

"He was stabbed in the chest," Vaike said. Isadora noticed displeasure and discomfort on the man's face as he looked at the blood. "The squirt-I mean, Lissa and Gaius found the guy...just laying there…" Isadora's heart sank, some vile had already started to form on the back of her throat. So it was true… Someone had indeed attacked Lord Mark. For such a man to die like that… No, he wouldn't die!

"How is he?!" Isadora's voice betrayed her own concern.

"Last I heard he was unconscious and barely alive," said Vaike. "Lissa and Maribelle are both trying their best to keep him alive, but his heart was damaged. There is no telling if he'll make it."

"Why are the rest of you just standing around?" Panne said with more than a little irritation in her voice. "Shouldn't you be looking for whoever did this? Isn't he _your_ tactician?"

"Peace, Panne," the voice of Lord Chrom came from behind them. Isadora turned to look at him, hoping to hear more details about what had happened. What she saw was almost like a almost like a husk of the man. The prince was covered in blood—Lord Mark's, going from the lack of any visible wounds on the man. "We are doing everything we can," the prince's voice came hoarse. "Gaius caught a strange man that was on top of Robin when they found him. We are interrogating him right now. The khans are having their guard search for any accomplices that could have fled. We have to focus and keep this area secured. If they got Robin, anyone of us could be the next target."

"Where is Lord Mark now?" Isadora asked the prince.

"I'm afraid I can't let you see him. Lissa and Maribelle are both having a hard time trying to stabilize him as it is with Lyn refusing to leave his side."

 _Oh gods…_ She'd forgotten about Lady Lyn! If she was feeling the effect on the attack on Lord Mark, she could only imagine how the Lorca tribe woman would be dealing with everything. She was much closer to Lord Mark. It was no secret that she'd been searching for him for years in Elibe. To lose him now would destroy her.

Regaining some of her composure, she shifted her focus to something else the prince had said. They'd captured "a strange man" that had been there when Lord Mark had been first found. She jumped to the conclusion that if anyone would attack like that it had to be the Black Fang. King Gangrel's army would be focused on the Exalt back in Ylisstol. There was no other answer.

"Where is the man you spoke of, prince Chrom? The one captured by Gaius."

"We are questioning him right now. He hasn't confessed to anything...yet. Though, he did refer to Robin as Mark." Isadora clenched her hands at hearing that. There was no question about it. The only ones that would call the tactician by that name were those that came from Elibe.

"May I speak with this man?"

"Isadora, I don't think it would be wise to have you talk with him. You are too close to Robin, just like the rest of us. Khan Basilio is the one leading the questioning."

"...I'm sorry, prince Chrom, but I can't allow that. I owe it to Lord Mark to do this much for him. And more to the point, you said it yourself, Robin was referred to as Mark, correct? There are only a few people that would call him by that name. If I could talk to that man, we could find out more about the attack."

The idea of finding out more was enough to sway the leader to have her help out. He had her follow him through a corridor some distance away from where the pool of blood and Vaike and Panne were. The kept walking until they found a door guarded by two lancers, who exchanged looks as they saw the two bluenettes approaching. Upon seeing that one of them was Lord Chrom, they stood at ease. It seemed that one of the khans had informed them that the prince was to be allowed to enter the room without question.

When they entered, the only thing that Isadora could hear was the loud voice of a man asking questions. That voice belonged to a tall, muscular, bald man, who had to be Khan Basilio. He had his arms crossed, looking down at the other figure that had been tied to a chair. This other man had a hood on, which prevented her from seeing his face from that angle.

The room was completely empty aside from the chair that the man had been tied to. It was dark, too, with no windows to mention and only two torches at the far ends of the room. It was a tactic to prevent the imprisoned from knowing how long he'd been in the room, something that was done to criminals in Elibe too.

The khan took notice of the two new arrivals, stopping his questioning and looking towards them. He approached, trying to get out of the earshot of the other.

"What is it, lad? Don't you see I'm busy here?" The Khan questioned.

"I understand, and I appreciate all you're doing," the prince said. "Has he said anything yet?"

The man with the patch over his eye looked back at the man sitting. "Not a single word. He's a tough one, that one. If I had to say, he has experience with this sort of thing." He turned back to look at them both. "You want her to talk to him. A woman might just do it here. There are some that will take females lightly."

"This is Isadora," Chrom explained. "She is an old friend of Robin's. She brought a good point when I explained the situation to her. I believe she could have an insight that we do not."

"By all means, have her talk with him." The khan crossed his arms over his chest. "Every passing minute we get further from the truth."

She nodded at both men. She would get to the bottom of it all. If nothing else, that much she could do. She looked towards the sitting man and noticed that his head was half turned to look in their direction, however, his own hood had prevented him from actually seeing them just as much as it was hiding his identity. She walked towards him until she stood on the same spot that Khan Basilio had been before. Just as she was about to start her questioning, the man spoke.

"Huh…" was the first thing out of his mouth. Both the khan and the prince looked bewildered as she'd just made the hooded man speak his first words, if it could be called that. "Fancy meeting you here, of all people," the man said. "Though, the circumstances could be better."

Her eyes widened after hearing the man's voice. She recognized that voice! But, if her suspicions were correct, why had _he_ been found over Lord Mark's body? His face was still hidden by the hood. With new found resolve, the knight approached the man and pulled back the hood.

The man looked different from what she remembered, then again, six years could do that to a person. His purple cloak had been replaced by a black one with a hood. He used to wear close to no armor before, but now he was better protected. A black breastplate made out of woven hard boiled leather strips. The same material could be found on his gloves, though these also had metal plates for extra protection. Likewise, metal plates had been attached to his black pants to protects his shins. The bandana he use to wear was no longer there, as the long dull-purple hair of his had been cut short. Along with the old scar over his eye, he now had a new one that went from cheekbone to cheekbone, going over his nose. He looked very different, the years showing in his face—crow's eyes were starting to show, much earlier than expected for a man on his late twenties—The Hurricane.

"Master Legault…?!"

"It's been a long time, Dame Isadora. Never imagined I would see you again. Not after the war."

"What is going on?" Chrom asked. "Do you know this man, Isadora?"

"M-My apologies, milord," said Isadora, still not understanding what was before her eyes. "This is...an old ally of ours. Master Legault helped us years ago."

"If that is true, then why would he attack Robin?"

"Robin?" Legault repeated. "You mean Mark? I did not attack him. I did see him hit the ground, though. I was going to give chase to the woman, but it was either catching her and leaving Mark for dead, or losing her and buy Mark some more time."

"The attacked was a woman…? But if what you say is true then why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"You people took me for the assassin from the beginning. It was my word—the word of a stranger—against two of your own. Who would you believe when there is a life on the line?"

Isadora was amazed at how the ex member of the Black Fang was keeping his cool. He'd calculated all that in a short time.

"Before that guy tackled me, I'd been using a cocktail of vulneraries and elixirs as well as medicinal herbs to try and lower the blood loss and seal the wound. I'm no healer, however. Without a staff, you can only do so much for an injury like that. And even with the damn thing, every time the heart pumps blood it will tear itself apart."

"You know an awful lot about this types of injuries."

"Master Legault was an assassin before-" the knight stopped herself. She'd promised Lord Mark not to reveal anything that could endanger them. She shook her head. "No matter. That is no longer the case… Is it?" She turned to look at Legault.

"I only kill if my hand is forced to," he confessed. "My days as an assassin are long past. But I would rather discuss that and anything else you like _after_ I've been untied." Though still hesitant, prince Chrom compiled, using his sword, Falchion, to cut the rope.

"Now then. What can you tell us about this would be assassin you saw escaping?" Khan Basilio asked. Isadora could see that despite it all, the khan still had his guard up. She couldn't blame him. He didn't know the thief as she did, nor did he know her for that matter. Hoping to have his trust was too much, but it seemed like he would be cooperating.

"You mentioned it was a woman," Chrom said. "Is there anything else that you can tell us."

"No," was Legault's simple response. He stood up, towering over the knight and the prince. "I'd just happen to come by when it all happened. I was more focused on what had happened to Mark to memorize her appearance. All I can tell you is that she wielded a sword, was dressed for combat, and had long hair. Most of those you could already assume from hearing the words "woman" and "assassin"."

"Ferox has many female warriors," Khan Basilio pointed out. "With the call for arms that was sent out, many would be here or on their way. More than half of them fit that description. I'll pass the description to Flavia and the guards all the same." The khan took his leave, telling them that he would leave Master Legault to them.

"What should we do, milord?" Isadora asked. "Should we aid with the search?"

"It'll be a waste of time," Master Legault said, which earned a glare from both bluenettes. "Don't get me wrong, I want to catch the one responsible as much as you do. I do. But you heard what that man said… Even if we were to hold all the women in the capital until Mark wakes up— _if_ he wakes up—there is still no guarantee that we will get the one we want. It could work against us, even. It will alert the assassin."

Lord Chrom gave it some thought. Isadora knew that the man respected and considered Lord Mark a friend. Finding the assassin would be amongst his priorities. However, he also had to deal with a war that would not wait for the tactician's recovery, as unfortunate as that was. Delaying their movement based on current events could cost the Exalt her life.

"For now, I will go talk with the khans. We can wait for Robin to get better until the troops are ready, but...if he doesn't wake by then, we may have to leave him behind." The words of the prince left a sour taste in the knight's mouth. On one hand, the idea of abandoning an ally was preposterous. If they were to leave him behind, there was no guarantee that another attempt wouldn't be made on his life if he were still alive. On the other...what was a life compared to a nation? Every day that they didn't move was another that the enemy could plunder villages and murder the innocent. Isadora was torn between her sense of duty to look after Lord Mark's well being, and the morality that would push her to leave him behind to fight against an immediate threat.

Her line of thought was broken when the prince spoke once again. "Isadora, I leave Legault to you. It's not going to be easy. The others will be suspicious of him and even hostile. Try to stay out of sight if you can."

"Yes, milord," Isadora said. Before he had a chance to leave, she spoke up again. "Would it be possible to see Lord Mark and Lady Lyn? We owe it to them both to see that they are doing well."

"I mentioned before that I was no healer but, depending on his condition, I may be able to help keep him stable," said Master Legault. "As you said before, I am familiar with this types of injuries. If anything, I could bring some insight as an outsider."

Chrom sighed. "Very well. I will take you there myself."

"There is no need for that! We can-" Isadora was quickly interrupted by the prince.

"My sister, Lissa—the girl that was with the man who tackled your friend—is treating Robin right now. Frederick will be there too. If she were to scream or do anything that could cause Frederick to react, it might not end well."

With no more objections, the three of them set off towards the room the tactician was being held. Their steps echoed around the hallway as they moved—Chrom leading them, followed by Isadora, and then Legault just two steps behind her. It was awfully quiet, whether because of the time of day or because the area had been closed off and the guards were running around elsewhere. This left Isadora feeling more nervous about what they would see in the room. Not that her exterior would show it.

It didn't take them long to reach it. But before they could enter, they were forced to stop. Some of the other Shepherds were waiting outside the room, likely wanting to know the condition of Lord Mark. Lon'qu was standing guard just to the side of the door, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The boy Donnel was sitting on the floor, slowly scratching his head from underneath his pot-helmet. Sumia was pacing around, muttering something to herself. Tharja was looking down at the floor, standing some distance away. And Panne also stood near by, arms crossed and staring at the door. As they approached, all eyes turned to them.

"Shouldn't you all be somewhere else?" Chrom asked rhetorically. "We need to keep the area secured in case another assassin decides to make their move."

"I can hear and smell man-spawn from leagues away," said Panne. "If another one comes, I'll know about it."

"Ain't anyone tellin' us nothin'," Donnel said. "We just wanted to make sure he's okay…"

"You should head back to where the others are. There is no need for soe many of you to be here. If there is a change, we will send word," the prince tried to explain, but the others wouldn't move still.

"Um… Who's that guy?" Sumia asked as she finally took notice of Master Legault.

"He is an old friend of Robin's."

"Something doesn't feel right about him…" muttered Tharja, barely audible if it hadn't been for the slight echo. This was the first time that Isadora had heard the woman make a remark like that. For a moment she considered the possibility that her magical affinity could detect that Master Legault was in fact not from that world. She ended up dismissing as the dark mage had never said the same thing about her or Lady Lyn as far as she was aware.

"He also has the smell of the tactician's blood on him," Panne said, her frow burrowing as she looked intensly towards the "prisoner". The prince was forced to explain what had been discussed in the interrogation room earlier.

"We'll be going in," he continued. "Legault has mentioned that he may be able to help. At this point, I'll take all the help we can get on this matter. Panne and Lon'qu, you can stay to guard the door, if you like, otherwise, return to the main area. The rest of you, go back to the others and tell them about Legault. I don't want Gaius to tackle him again thinking he is trying to escape."

Finally, the three were able to enter the room without any more setbacks. The room was much smaller and more furnished than the one Master Legault had been held in. That was because that room was identical to the one she'd been staying in, except for the layout of the furniture. The first person Isadora spotted was Lord Mark, who'd been laid atop the bed. His coat, shirt, and cloak, all of which were drenched in blood, had been set aside, leaving his torso and therefore his wound exposed. The man looked very pale, likely from the blood loss. The wound itself, though healed, stood out from all the more from the many different scars that were visible all over the man's torso because it bulged out and it's dark coloration.

Lady Lyn was kneeling besides the tactician, holding onto his arm. There was a slight swelling around her eyes, which were also bloodshot. The strong tribes woman had been crying, as made more evident by the occasional sniffling and slight glaze that her eyes still had. Seeing the two in that position made Isadora feel like someone had gotten hold of her own heart and was squeezing down on it. The worst part was, she didn't know what she could do or say to make things better.

Sir Frederick stood by the window, arms crossed. He looked as stoic as she'd ever seen him. In comparison to that somewhat rare cheerful self of his that she'd seen that morning during breakfast. The blue knight was looking towards princess Lissa, who was currently casting a healing spell on Lord Robin. The girl was starting to sweat. How long had she been at it? If she wasn't careful, she could end up collapsing out of exhaustion.

"Milord," said Sir Frederick, being the first to take notice of them.

"How is he, Lissa?" he asked as he approached the bedside.

The princess shook her head as she kept on working. "Not good… I healed the cut easy enough, but the heart is a whole other problem. It's won't hold. And then there's the internal bleeding that it's causing. Chrom… I don't-"

"I get the picture…"

"The heart is made out of tissue, just like anything else," said Master Legault. "Every time it rips, it forms a stronger bond to prevent it from happening again. But if it beats fast, it won't give the tissue a chance to do so. You need to buy it the time it needs—to slow down the heart rate to the bare minimum." Lady Lissa turned to look over at the stranger's voice, and when she saw who it belonged to, she almost dropped her staff.

"What is he doing here, Chrom?! He was the one that attacked Robin! Are you crazy?! Why would you bring him here?!" The girl was half panicking. Seeing this, Sir Frederick moved in between the princess and the thief. He had his sword half drawn when Lord Chrom stopped him.

"Peace, Lissa, Frederick," he said. "This man did not do it. He was helping out Robin when you and Gaius found him. If he hadn't helped, Robin would've bled out before you started healing him."

"But!"

"Legault…?" Lady Lyn said, looking over towards them. "...What are you doing here…? Shouldn't you be in Bern?"

"Good to see you again, milady. Though I wish it was under better circumstances," said Master Legault, taking a small bow towards the younger female. "We should discuss that later. For now, we should focus in keeping Mark alive."

"Agreed. We should focus on Robin right now," said Chrom. "You mentioned slowing down the heart, no? How do you propose we do that without killing him?"

"Poison." The room remained quiet. Isadora wasn't sure if she'd heard it right. Master Legault wasn't one to joke around too much, except for the occasional teasing. For something as important as the life of Lord Mark, there was no way he would say anything but the truth. "As Dame Isadora mentioned before, I _was_ an assassin some years ago. Though not my favorite method, I did study different poisons because of the trade. You would be surprised at the amount of poisons there are that can kill a man by slowing the heart to a stop."

"You want to poison Mark?!" Lady Lyn asked in shock for the rest of them.

"If he is given non-lethal doses of a poison over time while still being constantly healed, it should keep him alive and help his heart recover. Ironically, the only way to help him get better is to make him feel worse. That being said, chances are that he could end up on a chemical coma. That means that even if he's healed, we won't be able to wake him. He will have to do that by himself."

It was as if he'd extended a hand, offering them food, only to slap them in the face and telling them to go for it again. There were too many if's. Too many things could go wrong and cost the tactician his life.

"Could that really work?" Lord Chrom asked.

"I've never tried it, if that's what you're asking," Master Legault confessed. "At this point, it is your only option. You must decide quickly and call for an expert on local poisons. I would do it myself, but I don't carry any with me nor do I know where to get any around here and what types are common around the area, for that matter.

"And while you are at it, get some more healers. If you don't want to have a bedridden healers, you will need a rotating schedule for this to work. Have each of them work an hour at a time before and then switch them for the next one."

"Got it. I will let Khan Flavia know. You two can stay here for now. I will also send word to Maribelle. She can come and continue healing Robin so that Lissa can rest. Frederick, you come with me. I think they need some privacy…" The bluenette turned to look at Isadora and Master Legault. "Lissa has to stay here for obvious reasons. I'm sorry that that is the only way this can work."

"It's quite alright, milord," said Isadora. "We appreciate your understanding."

And then the two men left the room. Lady Lissa looked nervous once again. It was obvious that she still wasn't comfortable with the thief being there. Both him and Isadora approached the bed, standing besides Lady Lyn, who'd returned to look at Lord Mark.

"Were you looking for him too?" Lady Lyn asked, not bothering to look at any of them. Who she was asking the question was too obvious for everyone.

"Aye," the older gentleman said. "The Fang's refugees had many things to say. That's why I came here. It was also I who sent made it so that Ostia could get word of it. I was expecting to see one of Lord Hector's men here. That is why I was surprised to see you, Dame Isadora." That explained how Matthew had come up with the information on the rumor. It was no mystery why Master Legault wouldn't take a more direct approach. Relation between Bern and all other nations were running high. Any attempt of contacting another nation in secrecy could easily be taken as espionage and tratriory. "I take it that Lord Eliwood sent more people with you?"

At the mention of that last name, Lady Lissa gasped, looking wide eyed at Master Legault, who only raised an eyebrow at the girl's reaction. Then it hit Isadora what had happened. With the condition that Lord Mark was in and the sudden appearance of Master Legault, she'd forgotten about not discussing any matters related to Elibe in the open! She suddenly felt ashamed like no other. She'd broken her word of keeping silent. A knight was only as good as his or her word. If she'd made that mistake, then what did that say of her?

"So it _was_ true?!" The girl looked half excited, half shocked. How she'd been able to keep on healing after that outburst was beyond anyone. Her mouth slowly turned to a shaking smile. There was also a sudden glisten to her eyes, as if she'd seen something that deserved to be admired. This only worked to confuse the three others, as they stared at the girl for her to elaborate. "The Black Fang, Lord (Marquess) Eliwood, Pherae, Ostia, Bern. They were all true?!"

"L-Lissa, please! Be careful," Lady Lyn pleaded, still holding onto Lord Mark's hand. Whether she was worried about the wellbeing of her lover or the information that the princess had just thrown at them, Isadora did not know. That was just another cause to worry.

"Sorry!" The girl steadied herself, bringing down her excitement levels a couple of notches.

"What do you mean by "is were all true", Lady Lissa?" Isadora asked. It was something that she would've rather ignored, but she felt responsible for the leak of information. If Lord Mark were to awaken to the princess asking questions about it, he wouldn't be pleased. Master Legault couldn't be blamed, as he didn't know if anyone knew about their past. He'd heard her call Robin by the same name she'd always called him. It was an easy assumption to make that that would mean the Shepherds knew about their past.

"When I first saw you in the field, Isadora, I thought I recognized you from somewhere," the princess confessed. "I was so excited! I thought that I'd finally found someone to talk with about the Legends Past. After all, your name and your armor were identical to one of the people mentioned on those stories… I thought you were, you know, just dressing up. So that night, when I went looking for you, I accidentally heard what you, Lyn, and Robin were talking about… But only some of it!"

This was the worst possible scenario. The girl knew about everything! And what were these "Legends Past"? This was the first time the knight had heard of such things. But that would also explain why she'd ran away when Lord Mark opened the door and why she kept avoiding the three of them… To her, they were all delusional; acting out as characters from some story!

"The next morning, I looked into it some more," she continued. "I found a few books about it on the library why Emmeryn was searching for books to give to Robin. I brought them with me, and sure enough, there I saw _your_ names! Even the descriptions were almost spot on! The characters were described as younger, but apart from that, it was uncanny! Even Robin was there when I searched for him as the mysterious tactician that vanished. So when I saw you all around, I had to keep myself from just jumping and asking a bunch of questions..." That last bit she looked embarrassed as she said it.

At that moment Isadora understood how Lord Mark had felt when she kept referring to him as such. It wasn't a matter of just letting people know about their past. No, if others were to find out they would label them all as mad! This time it was her turn to try and get the information from leaving that room. "Please, Lady Lissa," she pleaded, "do not speak of this to the others! We ourselves don't understand how this is all possible… And I would rather discuss it after Lord Mark has recovered."

"It's promise then! I'll make sure it give it my all and get Robin back on his feet before you know it." The comment earned the princess a smile from everyone, especially from Lady Lyn, who had it harder than anyone else. "If Chrom hurries, we can start treating Robin the way Legault said before. Just leave it to me and Maribelle."

"We'll leave him to you, then. Seeing as there isn't much more for us to do here, we'll go back to the others." Isadora then placed her hand on Lyn's shoulder. "I will bring you some supper once it is prepared so that you can stay. You scolded Lord Mark on not eating before, if I remember correctly, so I expect you to eat something."

The greenette nodded slowly, trying her best to smile. "I appreciate it, Isadora…"

The knight and the thief then left the room. Outside, only Lon'qu remained. The man had hardly moved at all since last she'd seen him. The swordsman threw them a side glance before continuing to monitor the surroundings. Much like a knight, he was taking the task of guarding the room seriously. She felt a little better knowing that there were people ready to protect the tactician in case another attack came their way.

It wasn't easy, but she was able to introduce Master Legault to the rest of the Shepherds. Most were friendly, as friendly as they'd been to her when she first joined their ranks. But there were a few of them that didn't take a liking to the old ex Fang assassin. Gaius still wasn't convinced that he was entirely innocent. Vaike, who'd been one of the first on the scene, also remained suspicious of the man, being the closest thing to hostile as she'd seen. And Miriel, well, she was being Miriel. It was impossible to tell if she was being friendly towards someone or not.

In the end, the pair found themselves at the mess hall, where most everyone had gathered together to eat, just like that morning. The difference this time was the atmosphere. Were in the morning they'd all felt joyful and joked around, at that time there was some tension that bordered on depression. There were hardly any people talking. They all had thoughtful expressions. It was hard to believe that this was the same group of people she'd traveled with for the past few days. Then again, she understood completely how they felt. The attack on their ally—their tactician—under everyone's noses was a blow to their moral.

Isadora had to leave Master Legault to fend for himself, as she would go take a plate of food to Lady Lyn. The two split off, her telling him she would join him again after returning. She quickly gathered whatever looked good, keeping in mind for it to be something easy to digest, as she didn't want to have Lady Lyn to be bedridden as well, and then left.

In the room, Lyn remained, but Lady Lissa had been replaced by Lady Maribelle, Lord Chrom, and someone she could only assume was knowledgeable of poison, going from the many viles he had in his hands. The Lord explained that they were following Master Legault's suggestions and that Khan Flavia had already called for more healers. Wanting not to be on the way of progress, she handed the plate over to Lady Lyn, who set it on the bedside table closest to her after thanking her.

Knowing that she couldn't force the younger woman to eat, she excused herself and returned to the mess hall, where she found a curious sight. Sitting across Master Legault was Panne. The two of them were staring at each other intensely as they kept eating. As if that wasn't strange enough, the two weren't speaking a word to each other. It would be comical if Panne didn't have her brow furrowed. Master Legault, on the other hand, kept his cool like always.

Isadora took a sit next to the thief. For a moment, she looked between the two, neither of them having any sort of reaction to her sitting down. Finally, she decided to break the ice. "What is going on here?"

Without turning away his eyes from the woman in front of him, Master Legault answered, "she sat down after you left and hasn't said a word. She's just staring at me coldly. As she was the one to join me, I expected her to have something to say, so I'm waiting." That was… Was that something that common amongst taguel? Isadora knew nothing about Panne's people. She'd never seen anyone like her before. She wasn't even sure if they existed back in Elibe.

"How is Mark doing?"

Thankful about the change of topic (Panne didn't react at all!) Isadora responded. "It's hard to say. He looks the same. Lord Chrom followed your advice. They were already underway with the treatment when I entered the room."

"I see…"

"Do you really believe that he will pull through, Master Legault?"

"Who knows? I certainly hope so."

* * *

Much more slower paced than the last few chapters. I know it's ironic after I talked about having a faster pace before, but I wanted to slow things down to mirror the feeling the Shepherds are having.

For some reason, I feel like Isadora at some point was like Sully in her teens. That could be just me. I'm going on off something I remember reading that she was a Lady in training. With her being one of the female knights in the game, I'm sure she didn't have it easy.

Also, ta da! A couple of things happened that I know a bunch of you were looking forward to! First, we have the introduction to another Rekka No Ken character, Legault. Now, those who know the character will notice that I changed his appearance drastically. In Isadora's case, the changes were minimal. For Lyn, I went with her redesign for the Awakening DLC. But for Legault, I felt that he would go through the most changes given that he kept on dealing with the Black Fang after the ending of the game. I doubt that anyone will complain about changes in his clothes, but I thought I would just mention that.

Next, we have the reveal of what Lissa heard. When I had the scene of her overhearing them, I had this picture in mind of a fanart that I saw some time ago of Lissa reading a book to a kid Owain, who is sitting on her lap. I haven't read all of Owain's supports, but I got the feel that Lissa read a bunch of stories to him when he was a kid and that's why he is the way he is. Also, most importantly, in a support with Noir he says, and I quote: "By the red hair of Eliwood!"

Now, on to the reviews!

 **speedking535** -I'm still debating the whole child situation. I'm thinking they should have at least two, but I don't know if I will go with having the twins like in so many other fics, or having an OC (wish Lyn had a son or daughter in Rekka No Ken that was strictly her own.) For now, there is still a long time before I decide, but yes, you can at least expect them to have two kids.

 **Latteas** -Okay, first of, that was hilarious to read. Personally, I think Robin x Lucina is meh. I don't have anything against it, it's just that I'm not a big fan of it. Also, how is it that she never got the whole "closest friend killed papa" thing right? Hello? She should've known from the start who _that_ was referring to! I can't go into detail to what happened/is happening to Robin for now. Fluff. Yes. There will be some, just like in any story, but I'm holding it off and just giving people small doses of it. There can only be so much when in the middle of the war, you know? For Cordelia, her wounds would've been healed by then. And as for her memories, I doubt she would want to talk about them with a stranger. Some will call me lazy for not going into detail, but I counter that this story follows Robin, who can't read minds or tell exactly how others are feeling. Hahaha that would be though for Chrom. Chosing between his future daughter for trying to kill their tactician, or the friend/tactician that has won them everything (YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT ROBIN, CHROM!)

 **S** **ugouxxx** -Good... Good... Let the hate flow through you... Some people just want to watch the world burn. Lucina is clearly one of them!

 **Natzo** -And with Robin out of commission, things are just bound to change all the more.

 **Panther Hardraad** -Thanks a lot! Hope I can get it to become one of the _best_ ones out there :P

 **Whatstoknow** -Hahaha! Hope you are not too disappointed that there isn't much Robin for this chapter.

 **Anthiques thief** -Game Lucina is too much of a goody two shoes. Very indecisive. Gotta take advantage and off Robin before everyone grows attached to him. And thanks, I'm actually going to meet with the people in charge of the project later today. Fingers crossed!

 **CrepePepe** -Very, very true... Kinda sad, now that I think about it. I like to think that most people will just think of those characters as OCs and will still read this, but who knows? Either way, really appreciate it!

 **werehogdog** -Thanks! I happy to see that you liked it.

 **Etherreal780** -For a part of this response, I will refer to you to what I wrote for Latteas up there ^. Also, keep in mind that events here are very different. You can assume that not only is the current timeline different, but that the future one is too. She would be basing everything on what she grew up knowing, to prevent her Father's fall. I mean, she went back in time to save Emmeryn in an attempt to change things completely. It's not far fetched to think she would do more if she had the chance. And as for how close he is to others, that is deliberate. In the game, he becomes close to the others because of his lack of memories. Even if it's over time, he becomes friendly with them because he knows no one else. Here, however, that isn't the case. He has all those memories from before. He spent over a year getting to know those other people, which explains why he would be much closer to them. Also keep in mind that he's known the Shepherds for less than a month. Right now, he is just friends or a close acquaintance to most of them. Those interactions will change the more chapters come out/more time passes in the story.

 **Muggzy** -Gotta keep things fresh! I'm not going to give away how that will change the dynamic of the group later on, but you bet it'll change. Miriel should get more love. There aren't even that many fics that feature her :/

 **Yellowclover** -No problem at all. I fell like it's important to have a back and forward with the people that take their time to leave a review. Hmm... Think of it this way: Time is full of branches were things were different. And when traveling back through time, you may not end up on the same branch you were on... It's hard to explain, but that's kinda the idea I had in mind. I really like your theory. I had very similar train of thought, except for the specific time and the whole winter thing. I could end up using that to also explain how it is that the geography changed so much in just a few thousand years. I ideas are coming to me! Thanks for that!

 **Rihan K.A** -Thanks for the compliment! Oh, believe me, there are many changes coming ahead. Right now I'm setting things up, so things might not look all that different. Just give it some time, you'll see, hehe... You bring a good point. I'll think about including a few flashbacks every now and again to give those that never played FE7 some background. I'll have to find a good way to incorporate them without disturbing the story too much... That will be interesting, but worth it in the end. Thank you for the suggestion! Hope you keep on reading the chapters as they come!


	15. And so I dreamt

First things first, I want to apologize for how long it took me to get this done. Because of how hectic work has been this past two weeks, I found myself with a big writers block that I just couldn't push past. I kept going over and over what I had to see if I could get into the flow until finally, yesterday, I was able to continue. There might be a few things that I gloss over because of that, so if you find them and they bother you, just point them out to me and I'll make sure to bring up those topics on the future chapters.

I'm really happy to see that there are so many Legault fans out there. I always thought he was one of the coolest characters of Rekka No Ken. You will see a lot more of him in the future. You can look forward to that.

Other than that, I hope you like this chapter. Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think or if you have any questions. Also favorite and/or follow the story if you really liked it. I'm selfish and I like seeing those notification come in. It lets me know that I'm doing a good job, you know? Anyways, enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 15: And so I dreamt_

For the longest time there was nothing but pain and nothingness. He was falling. Well, it _felt_ like he was falling. It made sense, with there being no floor and all. And as he fell, there was an excruciating and constant pain in his chest. He couldn't stop the pain. He couldn't stop the fall. He just kept going lower and lower into the abyss. What was strange was that there was nothing around him. It was all just pitch black, and yet when he moved his hands in front of his face, he could see them clear as day. The best way he could describe it as was as limbo—that state between life and death. Part of him wanted to be happy. If he _really_ was in limbo, that meant he wasn't dead, right? There was still a chance to pull through; to wake up and see all of his friends… To see _her_ again. It was too early for him to pass on. He'd just started to remember what happiness was like after so many years. To have it for a second only for it to be taken from him along with everything else was just...cruel.

On the other hand, he wanted to die. He wanted the pain he was feeling to end. Every passing second was like he was stabbed again and again on the chest. He couldn't protect himself. He tried putting his hands over the spot where he was feeling the pain. Maybe there was something causing it and he just couldn't see it? He was half right. He couldn't see it, but he couldn't stop it either. It was driving him insane. At points he wanted nothing more than for his body to just give in. Have the pain go away, he just wanted to rest. But something told him that if he did, he would never get back up. There was not even a guarantee that if he gave in he would leave that place. Instead, he focused on the people he wanted to see again. They would be waiting for him. And when he finally came back, they would laugh and welcome him back. He would be able to fool around for a bit, and then go back to the serious matters. Yeah. That sounded good. Even going back to a world at war was better than wherever he was.

This went on for a while. Then the pain disappeared and was replaced by _that_. The all too familiar red glow that he'd seen in a dream and then in reality. He didn't know what its purpose was, or why it seemed to come off of him during the strangest times. It was just...there. He could feel a surge of energy inside of him. But while it was trying to seemingly help, he felt frightened by it. It was an unknown force like he had never seen or read during his many years of studies before and it was enveloping him, without him having any sort of control over it. He shut his eyes hard, hoping that it would be all on his mind. Maybe it would go away if he ignored it. Suddenly, an image started forming in front of him...

Lundgren had been fatally wounded. His forces had been all but shattered by the small enemy forces as they'd approached Castle Caelin from the north. A plan to take over the house by assassinating his own niece and her family to gain control of the throne that was to be left by his dying brother. All his months of planning had been destroyed in less than an hour. The ones responsible? A legion of fourteen lead by that same daughter of his niece he'd tried to assassinate—the lone survivor of the Lorca tribe, Lyndis, or as she was more commonly known, Lyndis. To think that a _child_ , as the dying man insisted on calling her, would be able to bring everything down as if it were a house of cards was sacrilege.

But there they stood, the fourteen of them. The ever honest Lyndis, the rightful heir to the throne, stood by with her soldiers. The skirt chaser Sain and the stern Kent, cavaliers of house Caelin, who'd searched far and wide for the heir. Lyndis' friend and Pegasus Knight-in-training for house Ilia, the shy Florina. The best archer that ever came out of Pherae, the mercenary Wil. The loving husband and force to be reckoned with, the fighter Dorcas. The egotistical and sassy cleric, Serra. The educated mage, Erk. The reserved son of the Silver Wolf, the nomad Rath. The thief that turned out to be a spy of house Ostia, Matthew. Nils, the young boy whose ability with the flute could bring forth energy from those around him. The understanding traveling monk, Lucius. And the trainer to the knights of house Caelin and author, the knight Wallace. Yes, these thirteen belonged there. They were always meant to be there—brought together by a conflict that had repercussions in all their lives. They fought bravely and won every one of their battles. But then there was one more—a stranger who carried no weapons at all. The fourteenth was a man enveloped in mystery. This man kept to himself, rarely talking to others except to exchange greetings when necessary, though he kept an ear open for all the conversations going around camp. And yet, he was the reason they'd all gone into combat and come back alive time and time again. The tactician that would become a myth, Mark.

They all watched as Lundgren tried to crawl away, cursing only one person in particular. "That annoying little girl…," he said as he spat blood as cold as his words. "Nothin but a _savage_ from Sacae… The Caelin throne...should be...mine…" There was no one there to help him. He knew that much. There was only one way things would end for him. With one last breath and an extended hand towards Lyn, he laid flat on the ground. He simply fell to the ground, motionless. With his death, Lyn had secured victory for them as well as the future for house Caelin.

"We've won…" Lyn said as she sheathed her sword, her voice shaky, but her words full of confidence and joy. The fighting that they'd faced for months could finally stop. "I can finally see my grandfather…" She turned to look at everyone, but her eyes fell on the tactician she'd found one day on the fields as if fate had destined them to come together. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. Though his eyes weren't visible by the cowl on his cloak, his smile radiated a warmth that none of those around him had ever seen before coming from the man. It was a contagious smile that spread amongst their ranks. There was no reason for them to exchange words. They both knew how important that moment was for her. After losing her parents months prior, she would get the chance to meet her last living relative. It was a heartwarming thought, but a frightening one. Both Kent and Sain had explained that the Marquess disapproved so much of his daughter's marriage to one of the Lorca tribe that he'd insisted he didn't have a daughter. The two of them had searched for Lyndis far and wide to bring her back to Caelin, but what waited for her inside the castle was still unknown. As the troops gathered themselves, a middle-aged man dressed in clothes of someone of high status approached Lyn.

"You are Lady Lyndis, are you not?" He asked.

"Who are you?" Lyn asked, going back to her more stoic composure.

The man took a step forward and gave her a small bow. "I am Reissmann, the chancellor of the Caelin royal family. Me and my family have worked for the Marquess for generations. I had received word from Kent and Sain when you first met, but then Lundgren discovered the message and my plan to bring you here, and he imprisoned me. I must apologize, as it is because of that that you met with so much resistance on your approach to the castle."

Lyndis shook her head. "We were expecting nothing less than a fierce battle. We were lucky to have a great tactician amongst our ranks." She signaled to the man that worse a green hooded cloak. "Mark has helped us every step of the way here."

"I'm honored to meet you, Sir Mark," said Reissmann, bowing to him too. Mark only returned the bow, preferring to refrain to interrupt the current conversation. Turning back to Lyn, Reissmann continued, "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to your true home, Lady Lyndis, even if the circumstances are less than ideal. I... must inform you of something of grave importance…"

"Could that wait? I was hoping I could meet my grandfather now."

"It relates to your grandfather, you see. Lundgren...had been poisoning the Marquess for sometime now without any of us catching on. Because of that, the Marquess is not on the best of states. His body has been ravaged… He's been bedridden for months, I'm afraid. I understand your want to see his and I shall take you directly to him, but I only ask that your companions stay behind for the time being." The news didn't go down well with the others, not because they wanted to meet the Marquess, but because of the reveal of his current state. Yet not one of them said anything. They understood that these were family matters.

"Please, could you allow at least one of them to accompany me?" Lyn asked. It made sense that she would want someone to go with her. It was a way to find support in someone familiar. What confused Mark was when she turned to look at him yet again. He was expecting her to ask Florina to go with her. They'd known each other for much longer, after all. So why him? He would've asked this same question or even declined the invitation had he not noticed something he'd never seen before in her eyes, not even when she'd been surrounded by enemies. She was afraid. Afraid to see what was waiting for her inside—what she'd been working so hard for could just as easily slip past her. It was then that he was reminded that she was still a teenager, forced to face a cruel and harsh reality all by herself… Just like he had all those years before he'd set off for his training. "You'll come with me, right...?"

"Of course," said Mark, approaching the young girl. "That is, if there is no problem with that." Reissmann didn't have any complaints. He signaled them to follow and the three of them made their way into the castle.

There was a heavy atmosphere inside the Marquess' room, emphasised more by the darkness in there. The room was the biggest Mark had ever seen, decorated by the many luxuries that one would expect a noble to have. A gigantic painting with a frame made out of gold hung on one of the walls, depicting some heroic battle scene of some sort. Next to it, there was a marble fireplace with a relief sculpture on it. On a side table, there was a golden goblet sitting untouched. These were only a few of the things that caught Mark's eye. But more than anything, the enormous bed with its canopy and luxurious bed sheets that draped around a man called for his attention.

"Who is there?" called the sickly old man. He was the living image of a dying man. His hair, long and gray, had become thin and was receding—a few bald spots were visible. His skin was pale to the point that Mark could make out the veins that ran under it, giving it a sickly blue-ish tone. His bone structure was clearly visible, whether by the effect of the poison or the lack of nutrition. "I said no visitors," he said, "I will see no one." Lyn flinched, taking a step back. "What are you doing? Leave me...to die…"

Lyn didn't make another move. Mark could see the conflict going on inside her head. She wasn't sure if she should say something or just do as she'd been told. But they'd gone too far—done too much—to simply leave when she was so close to her grandfather. He placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping to help her regain her confidence. Lyn glanced at him, looking for help. All Mark could do was nod at her and give her a small push to get her going.

"Um… Pardon me…" She took a step closer to the bed. "My name is… I'm Lyndis."

The dying old man sprung back to life. His eyes snapped opened and showed a glimmer of hope as he pushed himself up and turned to look in her direction. "Lyndis…?" He repeated, his lower lip quivering slightly. The proud and hotheaded man was no more. "You mean…"

Lyn walked all the way to the side of her grandfather's bed. Mark stood not far behind her, just far enough to not be in the way. He doubted he would need to push her once again, but he had to be sure she would commit to this. "My father's name was Hassar, chieftain of the Lorca tribe. My mother was...Madelyn… Your daughter. They raised me on the plains."

Lord Hausen looked at his granddaughter, taking in her features. "...You truly are Madelyn's trueborn child… Uhhh...ahhh…" Somehow, the man was smiling through the pain. He gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Lyn rested her head on his chest, tears starting to form on the corner of both of their eyes. The heartwarming scene brought a smile to Mark's lips. The heavy atmosphere had been lifted. "Lundgren told me that my daughter had died. My heir...and you, too. He told me you were dead. Thank you… Thank you for living. Ahhh… I am blessed."

"Mother and father were slain last year by brigands. I… I managed to survive, but…" Lyn's voice was shaking.

"Lyndis, please forgive a prideful old man." He tried to sooth her by rubbing her hair lightly. "Had I not been such a fool and accepted your parents' love, all of us would have lived here together in perfect peace." The little strength that Lord Hausen had mustered to hug his granddaughter left him, though he lived still. He fell back onto the bed, except this time he wasn't alone. Lyn was kneeling down by his side, her hands holding onto one of wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Grandfather, my parents… my tribe… Our life was one of love and peace up until the end… All of us were truly happy."

Lord Hausen smiled serenely. "I'm glad to hear that my Madelyn was able to find such happiness. It gives me so much joy just hearing that… Thank you, Lyndis. I can now die...in peace… If the gods are good, I could see my daughter yet again and...apologize. To her and to your father."

"No!" Lyn's voice was carried around the room. "Grandfather! You mustn't say that!"

"There is no avoiding it anymore, child. I've taken too much poison for far too long. Many clerics have come to my side in hopes to heal me, but all have failed. It's too late…"

"Be brave, grandfather! You will recover! I know it! On the plains, we say that illness fails in the face of a strong heart! I am with you now! You mustn't give up!"

Her words resonated within Mark… It was as if she'd said them to him, for some reason… His eyes felt heavy. The memory in front of him started to blur out. His eyes felt so heavy. He couldn't fight it. He felt tired… He needed some rest. He closed his eyes, Lyn's words still on his mind.

When he opened his eyes again, everything he'd been seeing had vanished. He wasn't on a vast darkness, nor was he inside another memory. This felt different from those. He could see a light— a _very_ annoying light hitting him in the face from what looked to be a window. Then he started to hear things. It sounded like a small fire crackling. There was also the faint sound of what could be a crowd somewhere nearby. The smell of burning wood confirmed what he thought. There had to be a fire, he was sure of it. But the air was also mixed with scents of salves and herbs of some kind or another, which he found foreign. He started feeling his body again. He could tell he was laying down on something soft, most likely a bed as bedrolls weren't that comfortable. On top of him was a thick blanket, which he really needed as, even with the fire going, he could feel the cold biting at his cheeks and hands. Well, one of them. The other one felt strangely warm.

As his eyes finished adjusting to the light, he could see that he was in fact laying down on a bed. To his left there was a window, a fireplace, and a bedside table full to the brim with strange bottles. He turned right and he noticed a figure who was using her arms as a pillow. Her upper half was on the bed, but she was sitting on a wooden stool. His hand was in hers. It was a very familiar scene. He felt nostalgic as he looked at the green hair of the woman that was sleeping there with him. A smile crept up his lips as he used his free hand to run his fingers through her hair and squeezed her hands with the other. He saw that she too started to smile, which made him chuckle. Either she was having a nice dream or she was aware of what he was doing. Her eyes started opening as he continued the motion in silence, simply looking at her. Her smile disappeared when their eyes met.

"Good morning," he told her, still smiling. Her head shot up, her back straightening as she stared at him with her jaw slightly dropped. Her expression quickly changed to one of relief, going so far as her gasping. Before he knew it, there were tears going down her cheeks and she was sniffling. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He could feel his breath being squeezed out of him. Either she had become ridiculously strong or he was just that weak. He was glad that his injury had been healed already or he would be in a lot more pain. She stopped as quickly as she'd jumped him and started kissing him. He basked in the barrage of kisses—some soft, some strong—she gave his cheeks, his forehead, and best of all his own lips, which he gladly returned. This was the first time he'd seen her be so affectionate. He liked it, though if anyone else was there in the room, he would feel very embarrassed to be caught in that situation.

"I knew you would make it," she told him as she nuzzled her head on the crook of his neck, wiping away the trails of tears with his shirt's collar. "Illness fails in the face of a strong heart... And yours is the strongest I know," she whispered. This time it was him who wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "You really scared us, Mark."

Robin chuckled. "It's funny," he said, "just before waking up, I remembered that same saying from when you told it to your grandfather. I think it was just what I needed to be pulled back to reality." She looked up at him and smiled fondly. He smiled back at her, but it quickly disappeared at the reality of what had happened to him set in. "I'm...sorry for making you worry, Lyndis... "

"Huh?" She looked at him confused. "What are you apologizing for? You did nothing wrong."

"I lowered my guard thinking that we would be safe here. It foolish of me. As the tactician for our forces, I should've known that an attack could come at any time. I inadvertently put you and everyone else at risk because of-"

"This wasn't your fault, Mark," she told him, her tone much more serious as she frowned at him. "You could never have seen something like that coming. Nobody could. You are _alive_ , Mark! Just like the rest of us. That's all that matters." He found himself relaxing, some of the weight being taken off his shoulders. "Do you remember what happened?"

That was an odd question. Of course he- "Hmm?" He scratched his head. Something wasn't right. "I-I can't… I remember I was on my way to meet with you when someone called out to me." Whose face had he seen? Had the voice belonged to a male or a female? Did he recognized that person? "I talked to them. I remember that much. We were talking, then there was a shift that I found suspicious. Before I knew it, I'd hit the ground and lost consciousness soon after…" He could see the concern in her eyes as she heard his explanation.

"Do you know who it was...?" Lyn asked, but Robin could only shake his head.

"I can remember everything that happened before I was attacked, but... " He scratched his head. It didn't make any sense. How could he not recall something so important? "I just can't remember who the person that attacked me was… I recognized the person, that much I'm sure of, but… It could've been Gangrel himself and I would never know." He let out a long sigh. "This is going to drive me crazy…"

"Don't overthink it. We will get to the bottom of this. And to make sure _nothing_ like that happens to you again, I'll stay by your side. Whether it be that you go to a war counsel, to eat, or to sleep, I'll make sure to be there. Or at the very least make sure there's always someone with you."

"Aren't you being a little over protective?"

"You almost died, remember? If it hadn't been for Legault being there when it happened… I don't even want to think about what would've happened to you."

Robin was nodding along, not really thinking about it. It took him a second to realize what she'd just said. "Wait, Lyn… Legault was the one who found me?" He asked her. "As in the Legault...from Bern?"

"Oh, that's right, you didn't know he was here," she said, suddenly remembering the important piece of information. "At first there was a misunderstanding because Gaius and Lissa found him covered in your blood and over you, but Isadora cleared him after talking with Khan Basilio and Chrom. He's been staying here with the Shepherds ever since. It's been a tough week for him too, seeing as there were more than a few people that kept their eyes on him." She went on to explain the situation and what had happened since he was attacked. It'd taken four whole days of constant treatment before he was cleared, but as Legault had said, he'd entered a comatose state that only Robin would be able to break out of.

"A whole week…" Robin muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair. "That can't be good. We are still at war! What of Emmeryn? What if Gangrel had mounted another assault at Ylisstol? You guys should've left and-"

"No!" Lyn furrowed her brow. She'd taken it very personally. "Everyone here knows just how much you've done for this army and how much they need you if they want to win this war. You've brought everyone this far—kept them safe. That's not something anyone can brush aside... And personally, even if they'd decided to leave, I would've stayed by your side. It took me years to find you. I wouldn't leave you just like that."

Robin felt his heart skip a beat at hearing that. He felt happy that she felt so strongly about him. But then, at the same time, he felt guilty for having worried her so much. This was the second time he'd done it since they'd reunited, the first being after the battle against Vasto. He would have to take better care of himself from now on. Guessing from her earlier reaction, she'd taken what happened to him pretty badly. He wouldn't hold it against her. If the roles had been reversed, he would be the one saying the exact same thing to her, even if it would be selfish for him to abandon the Shepherds.

"Oh!" Lyn jumped all of a sudden hovering over Robin, as if suddenly remembering something. "We should take you to see the others! Everyone's been visiting you since the entire thing happened. They will be happy to see you've recovered!" She got up and extended a helping hand to him. "Come on! Let's go." Robin was disappointed that their moment had ended so quick, but he would be lying if he didn't admit that he wanted to see the others and apologize for making them worry and to thank them for all they'd done for him.

"Getting out of this bed does sound good," he said as he grabbed her hand and started pulling himself up. "After laying there for so long I- Woah!" He couldn't take more than a single step before his legs started shaking. He ended up losing his balance, landing back softly on the bed butt first. He was still weak. Though his spirit was willing, his body was still lagging behind. He laughed nervously. "Maybe you can lend me a shoulder too?" He looked down to see that he wasn't wearing his usual clothes. Instead of his white shirt, he had a black that fit him somewhat loosely. The material felt nicer than his old shirt. It was much warmer. "Um, what happened to my clothes, by the way?"

"Oh! I completely forgot about it," she said as she walked towards the dresser. "Your shirt was too ripped to fix. We couldn't even get the blood out of it… Lissa brought you that one, to make up for it."

"Lissa?" Suddenly he didn't feel as comfortable wearing the shirt. If it'd come from Lissa, there had to be something in it. Had she made a secret pocket and packed it full of snakes? Or maybe she'd rubbed something on it that would attract wild animals to him the next time they marched? "She's acting more like her usual self, I take it?"

"She-" Lyn cut herself off. "I-I think it would be best if you heard it from her. It's complicated" She returned to his side carrying his cloak, which looked clean. He was happy to see that they'd not thrown it away like the shirt. He really liked that cloak. It looked pristine. It had to be the cleanest he'd ever seen it. Even all the small tears that were on it before from the different battles they'd been in and their time traveling were all gone. If he didn't know any better he would say it was a whole new cloak! Well, he didn't know what a new one was supposed to look like, but seeing it in such condition made him think that it had to be like that. Lyn smiled as she looked at Robin admiring the piece of clothing. After he put it on with a little of her help, the two of them left the room.

To keep himself from falling, he had his arm around her shoulder. It was a good thing she hadn't grown taller than him in those six years. As extra support, she wrapped her left arm around his midsection and held onto the hand that was just over her shoulder with her right hand to keep it in place. Strangely enough, as they walked they didn't see anyone—not even a single Feroxi guard. Lyn explained that it was because everyone would be having breakfast around that time. That also explained why he could smell the delicious combination of bacon, eggs, and biscuits that had just come out of the oven. His stomach wanted to get to them there faster than his feet could take him. Forget the others! He wanted to have something to eat! He had a week to make up for.

Sure enough, when they reached the dining hall, everyone was there. Well, almost everyone. Chrom and Frederick weren't there, but that had to be because they would be at the war counsel with the khans. But something was off. Instead of seeing groups of people chatting and laughing together, they all looked meek. Those that were talking kept their voices to a more reasonable level, but the majority of them were just eating with their eyes down on their plates. They all looked troubled, which would explain the lack of conversation. Robin could see the usual groups sitting together, except for one. Isadora had some interesting company that morning. Apart from the person that he could only assume was Legault, there were three other faces there. Lissa sat across from the two people of Elibe, happily chatting with Maribelle. By far those two were the loudest in the room. Panne was also sitting with them… She was having some sort of staring contest with the thief as they both ate.

Lyn guided them towards that table. They'd gone unnoticed by anyone until they were halfway there, when Lissa stood up from her seat like a spring and leaned over the table. "Robin?!" Lissa yelled full of excitement in surprise loud enough for everyone in the entire dining hall to hear. Suddenly, all eyes were on him and Lyn, who'd stopped on her tracks. "You are finally awake!" All the serious and gloomy faces around them quickly disappeared as everyone stood from their seats to approach the couple. "Don't you dare go anywhere, mister! I need to go get Chrom and Frederick!" No one moved to stop her as she ran out of there faster than Robin had ever seen her run.

"Ah, Bubbles! Finally decided to wake up, huh?" Gaius said, grinning wide. "I've been eating all your desserts. Figured you wouldn't want them going to waste."

"It was about time that you got your ass outta bed," Sully said, smiling approvingly. Oddly enough, despite her choice words, there was a hint of care in them. "I had half a mind to drag you out of it if you kept sleeping so much."

"How rude of you, Sully," scolded Maribelle as she held to her parasol with that elegance that only she could pull off. "Though I do admit, Robin… You had my treasure, Lissa, too worried. I should find a fitting punishment for that… but I will let it be, only this once."

"My good fellow, it is good to see you on your feet again," said Virion, "but to be strutting around with a lady the moment you wake? Hoho! I've taught you well!" Robin couldn't have expected anyone other than Virion to comment on that. He felt his cheeks heat up, but he wouldn't let it bother him too much. Even if he _really_ wanted to stand on his own he wouldn't let himself push away from Lyn. Not after all that had happened. "I have to say, good work! You have my approval, though I would wish I had had a chance to be in your position."

"I am glad, but not surprised to see you standing," said Miriel. "Your vitals were stable for days. Due to the comatose state you were in, it was only a matter of time before you could come back to us." Analytical and scientific as always… "Though I do admit that I had my concerns about your ultimate chances of recovery."

"Good to see you up, Robin!" The tactician turned in the direction that the voice came from, but saw nothing except for an oddly position armorstand. The Feroxi sense of decor focused too heavily on combat. It didn't even make sense to have an armor stand in the middle of a room!

"I made sure to use many hexes to see that you would recover faster, Master Robin," said Tharja, who had a smile that sent chills down Robin's spine. Nevertheless, he appreciated the sentiment...no matter how creepy it was. "I hope you don't mind that I took some…samples when I visited."

"It's good to see you again, Mark," said Legault .Robin turned to look at him. Despite some changes in his appearance from years past and the very obvious change in attire, the man carried himself the same as always. "Maybe people will be more trusting with me now that you are standing and not trying to stab me in retaliation?"

This continued on until every single one of them had said some words. Robin felt truly happy to know that there were so many people there looking out for him, to support him in his hour of need. In the end, things returned to how they should have been from the beginning: everyone having cheerful conversations as they ate. There was also the faint sound of mugs clashing and cheering as some of the others toasted. As for Robin, he and Lyn joined the table that Isadora, Legault, Maribelle, and Panne were sitting on. Isadora was quick to stand up and tell them she would get breakfast for them. Robin would've objected, but she didn't give him a chance. Just like Lissa, Isadora was gone in an instant.

"Everyone," Robin called for the attention of those sitting with him. "I have to thank you all. Legault, Lyn told me that you helped decrease the blood loss and even gave ideas for my treatment. Never in a million years would I had thought we would meet again under this circumstances, though I'm glad that we did."

"Don't mention it," Legault said with a smirk. "You would've done the same for me."

Robin nodded. "That I would, though my knowledge on venoms and poisons is none existent." He then turned to look at the blonde noble girl. "Maribelle, I know that you and Lissa were there looking after me for a long time. I can't thank you enough for that. I know it's no easy task to cast a healing spell for long periods of time."

"We were only doing our part," she said, looking pleased with herself. "I believe this makes us even for your part in saving me?"

"Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that. I guess you are right." He finally turned to the taguel, who'd remained quiet for the entirety of the time. "Panne, I know we don't know each other too well, but I have to thank you too. You alerted Isadora about what was going on, and that ended up helping Legault too. I feel safer knowing that I can call you a comrade."

"Think nothing of it, tactician," she said. "From the man-spawn here, you are amongst the ones that have treated me fairly in this short time. However, I would do the same for anyone here, whether I got along with them or not."

The conversation was cut short when Lissa came back in with a spring to her step. She made her way to their table with a few more faces in toll. She stopped by Robin's side and, as if he was some sort of present, she extended her hands in a flashy manner and said, "ta da!" Robin felt like cringing. It wasn't the best way to show that he was alive. Still, he prefered to see the princess being herself instead of the nervous girl he'd seen since _that_ night. "I present to you, the Shepherds tactician!"

"I'll be damn," Khan Basilio said as he looked at Robin, astonished. "The lad is truly up and about as if nothing had happened!" He let out a great laugh. "We were all worried about you, and here you are, ready to eat breakfast! Ha!"

"Let him be, you old oaf," said Khan Flavia, who despite her stern voice, wore a playful smirk. "Better a hungry man than a dead man, I say."

Chrom trailed behind, but he was soon enough by the tactician's side. "It is it good to see you've recovered well, my friend," said the prince. "You had us thinking we would have to go through this war without you. But more importantly than that, you made all of us think we would lose a friend. You are full of surprises."

"It's good to see you too, Chrom," said the brunette. "It feels good to hear that, especially coming from you, but… I think it was a mistake to wait for me to recover. You should've gone ahead and returned to Ylisstol with the troops-"

"Not this again, Mark," said Lyn, displeased by how the conversation had turned. "I already told you, I- No. We're not leaving you behind. Your strategies only work when you are there to execute them."

"She is right," the prince said. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Robin. You may think the only reason you are here is to be our tactician—that's how you came to us after all—but with time there are many here who think of you as a friend, myself included. We won't leave behind one of our own, whether it be in the battlefield or otherwise."

Robin could only smile. "What of the preparations for the march? I doubt you stopped everything just because of me."

"Why am I not surprised that you would ask that as soon as you got better? Actually, we had a surprise visitor that just happened to know a thing or two about the enemy." Chrom turned to look the other way. "Ah, here she comes. Marth!"

Something in Robin triggered at the mention of the bluenette's name. He could feel a mild headache coming and felt some heartache. The reason behind it was a mystery to him. No one seemed to notice his sudden change in health, as they were all looking towards the new arrival. The tactician attributed everything to him being too active too soon after his recovery and thought nothing of it.

Marth entered with a smile on her face, but she looked stunned when she locked eyes with the tactician. "S-Sir Robin," she said weakly. "...It is...good to see you've awoken." Robin remained quiet.

"Marth has been helping us gather men and supplies as well as help us organize different squads we can use for combat for the last week," Chrom said as he turned to look at Robin. "But guessing from your looks, I say that you take at least one or two more days of rest before we leave for Ylisstol." Robin was about to raise his voice, but he was quickly interrupted by Chrom. "That is an order, in case you were wondering. We've all had our rest, so it's only fair that you would too. We have scouts coming in every day to tell us about the situation back in Ylisse. Rest assured that everything is under control. Right, Marth?"

"R-Right! I actually have something more that I wanted to get done regarding preparations this morning. If you'll excuse me, I'll get to it right away."

Marth wasn't the only one to leave. Both khans also had other affairs that they had to deal with, so they excused themselves after a few more friendly words. Panne excused herself without much of an explanation. Something about horses, she said. Chrom had to leave too, taking with him Maribelle, as they had to check on the different medical supplies that had arrived and sort them out. Frederick volunteered to lend a hand too, not to anyone's surprise except for Chrom, though he did not object for the extra pair of hands. In the end, the table only had Legault, Lyn, Lissa, and Robin. Isadora soon came back carrying their plates. Having had missed everything, she took her spot back without another word, setting down the food in front of Lyn and Robin.

"Lord Mark," said Isadora. "I believe we should discuss the possibility of the attack on your person being retaliation from the Black Fang." Robin was glad he hadn't had a bite of the food yet or else he would've spat it out. Had Isadora completely forgotten about Lissa being there? He'd made the knight promise that she wouldn't speak of anything relating to Elibe if there were others around. Even if the noise around them would make it impossible for others outside their circle to hear, the princess was. Right. There.

"Uuh, Isadora?" Robin whispered to the knight. "I don't believe this is the best time to talk about this…" He looked over at Lissa, who had a glint in her eye.

"Oh? Are you worried about me, Robin?" Lissa asked, already aware of what was going on through the tactician's mind. "Don't worry about it! I already know eeeeverything that there is to know about you guys. Legault spilled the beans ages ago, which made it easy for me to connect the dots." She pushed her chest out in pride as she nodded. "You guys can talk about it, I don't mind. Actually, I would like to know more about what is going on! It all sounds very exciting."

Isadora had to explain what had happened days before, about how Lissa had heard them talking about Elibe and how she'd finally concluded that they were all characters from some old, mostly forgotten, legends from well before the appearance of the hero king. This greatly confused Robin. If those legends were true, then that meant that not only had he traveled back through time and had an effect on it, but Lyn, Legault, and Isadora had somehow managed to travel to the future. As absurd as that theory was, them being from a different world that ran parallel with theirs wasn't any better. He let the others start the discussion while he rubbed his temples. Lyn, taking notice of this, decided to intervene.

"We should let Mark have some more rest before we get too far into it," she said. "He's just woken up. Talking about all of this may be too much. Like Chrom said, he needs some time to relax before jumping back in. We can discuss this after dinner or maybe tomorrow morning."

"I don't like it, but I agree," said Roin. "There's just too much I've missed and my mind is jumbled up. I need a bit of time to sort things out. Maybe I will remember who it was that attacked me that day too if I take a break."

So it was decided that, for the first time since he could remember, Robin would have a completely free day. He wouldn't worry about tactics. He wouldn't have to go to meetings. He wouldn't have to do or oversee any training. He would just get some time for himself. After breakfast was done, he returned to his room with Lyn, who true to her word, would be with him the entire day. Had he been on his own, he would read some of the books that he'd been given, but seeing as that would leave Lyn with nothing to do, he decided to make up for the lost time and take her out for a date. Well, she would be the one taking _him_ out, seeing as he still didn't know what there was to see or do in the Feroxi capital.

After collecting a few items, like his sword, his tome, and his wallet, the two of them decided to walk around town. This time around, Robin held himself up without any help. Once outside, Lyn turned to look at him and asked, "was there anything in particular you wanted to look for? Maybe some place you were interested to see before but didn't have a chance to go to?"

The tactician gave it some thought. He'd seen the city only when coming in and out of it, so he knew what was around, but nothing in particular stood out to him. He ended up saying the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm thinking that I should get some armor," he said poking fun at himself. "The last two injuries I got were to the chest—almost on the exact same spot had the first one not been a slash. Know any good armor smiths around here?"

Robin was trying to lighten the mood. Though perhaps because he didn't joke around much or because Lyn was, well, Lyn, she took it as him being serious. "It's good that you brought it up," she told him. "I was thinking the same thing, but I wasn't sure how you would take it. I do know a really good place nearby. It is where I got some of my own armor when I first came here. I'm sure we can find something that can fit you well."

"Oh… Well, okay then." With nothing else to do, checking out some armor wouldn't be so bad. It gave them something to do, and if in the process they found something better to do, then they could always steer that way instead. "I've never been much to wear armor. There was never a reason for me to do so. I guess there's always a first time for everything."

With that, the two made their way around town. It was cold day. Even with the sun shining brightly down on them and no snowfall, there was still some sludge on the ground after the morning rush. There were many people walking around too, Robin noted. There was a much greater number of what looked like soldiers going from here to there. They had to be part of the troops that the khans had gathered. It was amazing to think that they could gather their forces so quickly. He had to wonder how many of those faces he was seeing would end up fighting with him and the Shepherds on the war.

"Is everything okay, Mark?" Lyn suddenly asked, snapping Robin back to reality. "You looked troubled."

"Oh, it's nothing," he quickly tried to dismissed her concern. "I was just thinking about everything that's been happening lately, that's all." Lyn didn't look too satisfied with his answer, but didn't push the topic further. It would take them close to an hour to get to the store she'd mentioned. So much for it being nearby.

From the outside, the building looked like any of the other buildings. There was no window display to attract customers nor were there any wares shown on a table outside. No, the only indication that they were in the right place was a small sign hanging from a post that had the picture of an anvil and a hammer. The inside, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. There were many swords, axes, maces, chestplates, and shields; anything a fighter could need was there. Not only did it have a massive amount of goods, but there was a wide variety of everything—weapons ranging from bronze to silver and killer, and several types of armor.

"You weren't lying when you said this was a good place," Robin said as his eyes darted around from item to item. "I would say you undersold it. It looks like there's anything and everything you can think of here!"

"Thank you, handsome," came a jolly voice from behind the counter. It belonged to a slender redhead, who was leaning on the counter, resting her chin on her hands as she kept a close eye on him and Lyn. "It's always nice when people with good taste come and look around. But you know what's better than that? When they buy something! That always puts a smile on this face.~" Robin frowned at the woman. He wasn't suspicious of her or mad in any shape or form. There was just something about her. "Oh, don't look at me like that, handsome." The woman pouted. "I swear the only thing that will take a hit here is your wallet!"

"She looks like the owner of the secret shop back in Elibe, doesn't she?" Lyn whispered to him. Taking another look at the woman, she did look very familiar. And if Lyn was the one pointing it out, then there had to be something behind it.

"Excuse me but, have we met before by any chance?" Robin asked.

"Hmmm?" She looked at him up and down as if sizing him up. "Don't think so. But! It's entirely possible that you met one of my sisters or cousins. People tell us that we look very similar. I'm the most attractive one, though." She winked at him. There was something strange about her, no doubt about it. When she looked at the greenette, she smiled widely. "And look who we have here! Lyn! It's been too long since I last saw you. What brings you here?"

"Good to see you too, Anna," Lyn said. "We are looking for some armor for Mark here. Something not too cumbersome but can do the job."

"I have just the thing! And because of your continuous patronage, I'll even make you a deal if you buy the full set of armor~ What do you say?"

Robin scratched the back of his neck. Something was telling him that even with the so called "deal" they would be paying a hefty sum. "I would like to take a look at the armor before making any decisions."

"Say no more, just give me a minute and I'll bring it. Why don't you two look around for now? Maybe there will be something that will catch your lady friend's eye, hehe."

Robin felt his cheeks heating up. Having a stranger talk about his relationship with Lyn like that… Were they that transparent? Did they really look like a couple? The two remained quiet and looked around until Anna made her way back with a wooden crate in hand. She set it on the counter and waved them over to take a look at it. Inside the crate was an armor like no other the brunette had ever seen before. It was made up of a combination of plates, leather, and cloth. The chestplate—the piece he was most worried about—was a simple x-shape piece of metal that would protect his ribcage completely, and gray leather that covered the stomach area. It looked though, but was very lightweight too. The whole crate was, actually. It wasn't half bad. It included some pieces for his shoulders, forearms, and legs. Best of all, he could probably wear it underneath his coat without a problem.

"What do you think, Mark?" Lyn asked as she examined one of the pieces. "It looks good, right?"

"It really does, but I'm curious, where is this armor from?" Robin asked. "I haven't seen anyone in Ferox or Ylisse walking around with these sort of pieces."

"Ah, you have a good eye!" Anna crossed her arms and nodded, satisfied, "This was brought in from Chon'sin, actually. It is a _very_ rare piece. You wouldn't find a complete set like this anywhere else. Nowadays they prefer to use lacquer armor because it's easy to repair, so craftsmen that could do work like this faded out. This is as close as a one-of-a-kind piece as it gets!"

"That's all good and all, but I'll I can hear is that I can't afford this… Perhaps I should take a look at some of your other wares-"

"Nonsense! How can you know when you haven't heard the price? Besides, this set here, it has your name on it. It's saying "buy me, Mark! We would be such a good team!"" If she only knew that his real name was Robin… "Guessing from your physique and the weapons you carry, you can use a sword and tomes, correct?"

"Yeah, but how could you-"

"That means that _you_ need to move quick to get those baddies that get too close with your sword, right? You can't do that with a big plate armor! And leather armor is good and all, but if you aren't fast enough then you are just going to get hit and end up having to buy a _whole_ other chestpiece because you can't fix leather armor without weakening it."

"R-Right." This woman was dangerous. "That still doesn't answer the question of the price."

"Look here, an armor is an investment. You can't just buy a cheap piece and call it a day. Weapons are a dime a dozen. A sword is only as good as the person wielding it, right? Armor? Nope. You use armor to keep yourself alive! Buy a cheap piece and it might not do its job well. Think about it," she walked around the counter until she stood by Lyn. "Would you buy something of low quality because it was cheap that could get you killed? Imagine how sad Lyn here would be if you died! She will think that you died because you were being a cheapskate and wanted to keep a few extra gold coins in your purse."

"I don't think I would ever blame Mark for something like-"

"Nonsense! Tell you what, I like Lyn here. I can see you two are meant to be together just as much as you and this armor! For _her_ , I'll let it go for, let's say, 3000 gold."

"3000 gold?!" Robin felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. "I don't have that kind of coin! I could get enough swords to arm a squadron with that much money!"

"Fine, fine! Geez, you are being dramatic! Okay, 2500 gold. At this point, I'll be losing on this deal-"

"No!"

"2250. That's my final offer."

"Mark, we could do that much if we pull our money together," said Lyn, who was now holding onto her own wallet.

"Lyndis, this is insane! I rather just buy a good chesplate than a whole set of armor and save ourselves a small fortune," Robin said.

"Aww, that's cute. You have a pet name for her? Though, aren't pet names supposed to be shorter than real names? Well, whatever, what is it going to be, handsome?" Anna kept pushing.

This had turned to be the most expensive date he'd ever been in. "Fine…"

* * *

A lot of things happening on this chapter. Going from a suggestion that was left before, I did a small flashback in the form of a dream that gives some back story to Mark/Robin and Lyn's relationship. I found it be a really good way to have a flashback, though who knows if I'll handle them the same way in the future. I don't want all of them to be dreams. Could get boring if they always ware. Maybe I'll have the characters reminisce or a situation that feels similar happen to them or something. Who knows?

We all knew that Robin wouldn't be left out for long. I mean, I could've extended it a chapter or two more, but seeing as he is the main character of this story and I do want to keep the story moving, I think this was for the best. Besides, having him out of commission was useful to have a little timeskip, hehe~

For the reunion with everyone, I was going to write out dialogue for every single shepherd, but then that would turn very, very long. It's the same reason why I didn't write out all the explanations when Robin was being filled in on what he'd missed (things that where on the previous chapter.)

We also get a few romantic moments between Robin and Lyn, finally(?) including a date(?) Before anyone asks, no, that Anna isn't from the past nor is she the same Anna that will join them. I just thought it would be funny to use her since I already had the whole armor thing planned out.

On to responses!  
 **starlightkitsune2178** -Good, good! Questions means interest! I think playing with the past was the better decision since we already have character from the future showing up.

 **Antiques thief** -hahaha nothing to apologize about. I know that there are a lot of people that would disagree with me and my portrayal of Lucina. I'm just thinking that if I'm going to change some stuff on the story I might as well change a _bunch_ of stuff that I thought about when I was playing the game. Yeah man, Legault is awesome. I always had him on my team every single playthrough.

 **potatoman098** -You know, there were so many ways I could've handled the whole Lissa thing. Personally, I think that it would be so very like her to hear something she is interested in and then don't care about anything else. And thanks! I hope you like this chapter too and all the ones that will come after :P

 **Sugouxxx** -It's a good thing to think about, no? Lissa knows about who they really are. And who did I have Robin ask to investigate Lissa...? Things will either get complicated or very silly soon enough. In this chapter I glossed over it, but be sure to read the future ones to see what will happen there. I've been dropping a _ton_ of hints about this whole thing about Robin. Question is, can you catch them all? I'll play the Pokemon theme for you, even. Oh, Jaffar! Another very cool character! So many characters... Still have to plan for some more. It's really important how I bring them in, since it could hint at how significant they will be to the story in the future.

 **Whatstoknow** -Always nice to see your name popping up. And yes! Lissa now has a lot of information about what is going on, of all people! She'll be showing up much more in the future because of it.

 **Tumerboy12** -Really good question. I'm inclined to say that he helped Lyn and Hector because that's what I was thinking when I first came with the twist to include the FE7 characters, but I think it would be good if I found a way to have him had helped all three of them. Just one more thing to think about.

 **Yellowclover** -Who's to say it didn't help him? You have to remember that no one knows about the meaning behind the mark of Grima, not even Robin. For a similar reason Tharja's hexes weren't used. Legualt gave the explanation with poison, not knowing that Tharja could use hexes. And as for the others, you can assume that they didn't know she could use a hex like that at that point. If she'd been in the room when Legault explained everything, then yes, she could have proposed to use a hex instead (a lot less dangerous.) I never played Chrono Cross, so I had to look up info on the game. I think that's a similar idea? A few thousand years wouldn't be enough for continental shift of that magnitude, but water levels can explain a lot. In both world maps, we can't really see the poles, which means that we can't say for sure that they would be the same size either. It is possible that a big chunk of the land flooded over time. As far as Iduon goes, I hadn't considered it, but after looking up more info about her, it could be a very good addition to this story. I'll definitely keep it in mind. Don't worry, feel free to ask away anything that you want. If it's something too spoilery, I'll try to answer as best I can without giving away too much. I don't mind at all! I actually enjoy it because I can get good ideas or find things that I completely forgot about.


	16. And so we returned

Time to get things moving again! Get back on track, story!

Let me know what you think by leaving a review! If you really liked the story, remember to favorite and/or follow it! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 16: And so we returned_

Robin was pulled out of his sleep when he felt something bump his back. His eyes slowly fluttered open to be greeted by the faint light of his surroundings. Like most other morning, he was in his tent. More specifically, he was laying down on his bedroll. Guessing from the faint light that was making its way inside through the flaps of the tent, he could tell that it was already time to get up. Ever since they'd set off from the Feroxi capital, he'd been waking up much earlier than usual to start his morning ritual. Because of his recent acquisition of an (expensive) armor, he would make sure to put it on before going to the war council. If he'd gone out of his way to get one he wanted to make sure to get as much use out of it as possible. Obviously sleeping on it was out of the question unless being sore was not a problem. The only person crazy enough to do something like that would be Frederick. He was always ready for any situation that could arise and present harm to his lord. If someone were to say that the knight did indeed sleep in his armor, Robin would take it as fact.

That morning Robin felt particularly lazy. He knew he had to get up and get ready or else he would be late for the war counsel with Chrom and the khans, but his body was telling him to stay down and enjoy the bed, even if it was only for a few more minutes. However, when he felt something bump him for a second time, it woke him and his curiosity enough for him to roll over and inspect the source of his discomfort. For a moment he was surprised to see there was someone sleeping besides him. Not only that, but this person was particularly close to him, probably trying to share (steal) some of his body heat after the frosty night. His cheeks immediately flushed as he looked at her peaceful, resting face. Her lips parted just enough that he could even hear her lightly snoring. He felt the view was extremely alluring. He extended his hand to brush a few loose hairs off her forehead.

True to her word, Lyn had been staying close to him ever since he'd woken up from his coma. And although he'd told her repeatedly that she should sleep in her own bed, which she brought with her to his tent, every morning he would still wake up next to her. It was a terribly compromising position. Luck had been on their side thus far with no one coming to visit his tent at nights or in the mornings. He wasn't even sure if anyone knew about this...sleeping arrangement they had except for Isadora, who was meant to be Lyn's original tent mate. If someone came in without notice, there would be too many questions to answer. They weren't hiding their relationship, but an unmarried couple sleeping together would still raise a few eyebrows. For Robin, the less attention he could get on himself the better.

"I can tell you are awake, Lyn," said Robin meekly as he stared at her. He knew better than wasting his time scolding the woman for sneaking into his bed. He'd done it before to no avail since the march started. Besides, despite knowing that they shouldn't, he liked having her close like that. It wasn't often he got to see her lower her guard like during those morning hours. He would get a comforting, almost familiar feeling every time. It wasn't as if they were doing anything...indecent; they just _happened_ to share a bed. There wasn't anything wrong with that!

"Hey, are you ignoring me?" He poked her cheek, but she didn't even flinch. He knew that she was a heavy sleeper, but to move so much during her sleep? That was new...if she was truly asleep. Perhaps she was having a strange dream? He yawned into his fist as he looked at the corner of his tent—the crate located there, to be more specific, where he kept his armor. It was fine for her to sleep some more if she wanted. He was the one that took the longest to get ready. Trying his best not to disturb the greenette, he crawled out of bed and then pulled the covers over her body again so that she wouldn't get too cold. Without further ado, Robin walked to the small crate after he'd put on his boots. The box had come in very handy. He could keep his armor in it when not in use and use it to store his other valuables while traveling.

The first pieces he put on were the greaves. These had an interesting, two-piece, articulated design that incorporated a partial cuisse to it, protecting well over the knees. With it's strange design, if he were to knee someone, the piece could easily pierce through flesh. Next came the belts he usually wore, though now these had small pouches attached to them as well as two steel tassets. Next was the biggest piece—the chestplate. He slipped into it easy enough. It was tight enough for it not to get in the way, but loose enough for it not to be constricting either. It was almost as if whoever had made it had all of Robin's measurements in mind. On top of that, he put on the shoulder leather armor, which was reminiscent of the yellow coat he would wear unders his cloak, except that this new armor didn't cover his neck at all. Still, it would be much thoughter and protect better against projectiles, so he couldn't complain about it. The front of it latched on using a small red thread that connected over his chest. The last two pieces were the vambraces that went over his old gloves. These were also made out of steel plates and, like the chin guards, were secured in place with leather straps.

The armor wasn't too restrictive and offered great protection, though it didn't make him look like the dark mage he was… Then again, there weren't that many dark mages out there that took a sword with them into combat as well as their tome. The only downside to wearing the armor was the extra weight he had to carry around all day. Robin was fit, but he didn't have as much muscle as some of the other Shepherds like Chrom, Stahl, and Frederick, who'd all trained for years while wearing armor. He knew that over time he would get used to it, but still. It was a lot of extra weight! He pushed the thought aside. He couldn't be nitpicky about it. Plated armor like the one Stahl, Frederick, Sully, and Kellam wore had to be much heavier than his own. And if it had some weight to it, then it would surely offer good protection!

Shaking the thought out of his system, he walked back over to the bedroll where Lyndis slept peacefully. He crouched down and gently shook her to wake her. "If you are still asleep, then you should wake up now. I shouldn't make the others wait," he told her. As if his words had been enough, this time she really did react. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to look up at him. Just like he, she looked confused as to why he was there that early in the morning. It took a moment for her confusion to change into a smile meant just for him, the grogginess leaving her.

"Good morning, Mark," she said as she stretched her body across the bedroll eliciting a chuckle from Robin. "You already put on your armor," she noted in surprise as she eyed him up and down. For the first few days he had asked her to help him put it on, much to his embarrassment. Turns out, trying to put armor on by yourself when you've never done it before can be a difficult job. She helped a lot, but even she had trouble figuring out how all pieces came together. Lyn didn't wear much armor herself, so her confusion was understandable. But like with anything else, it only took Robin a handful of tries to learn how to manage on his own. He wasn't fast yet, but that would come the more he did it, just like training.

Robin grabbed hold of her hands, which surprised the greenette. Without warning he stood up, pulling her up to her feet. She leaned against him and giggled as she regained her balance.

She had slept with almost her entire attire on except for her boots, her coat, and the few pieces of armor that protected her shoulders and upper arms. Her long, smooth hair, normally worn on a ponytail, fell freely down her back, reaching below her buttocks. _Long and beautiful_ , Robin thought as he looked at her.

"Good morning to you," he told her, smiling back. "You know, when you said you were going to sleep here at night, I was under the assumption that you would use your own bedroll. I mean, why take the trouble to bring it when you are not going to use it?" Lyn responded by blushing slightly and avoiding eye contact. She was well aware about her problem with always saying the truth.

He let her go so that she could get herself ready—he would have liked nothing more than to stand like that for some just a moment more—before walking over to his cloak that was draped over the back of a chair. The coat, with it's dark colors, felt comfortably warm in his hands. He was lucky that it was so big that he could still wear it over armor. How his birth mother could wear such a big piece was beyond him. His brow furrowed as some old memories resurfaced… Memories that he would had rather forget.

"Are you going to put it on?" Lyn asked. Robin had been lost in his thoughts for gods knew how long that Lyn had somehow gotten herself ready to go in what felt to him like a blink of an eye and stood besides him, looking down at the coat in his hands. Boots and armor back on, her sash rewrapped, coat covering her comfortably, sword at her side, and hair back to its usual style, the myrmidon looked ready to go into combat. "You said we should get going, but you are taking your time now," she teased. "Is everything okay, Mark?"

"Yeah," he told her, swinging the coat over his shoulders and putting a hand in. "Everything is fine. Just...thinking. That's all. Nothing to worry yourself over." He gathered his weapons from the table, securing the sword to his belt and holding his tome firmly. "Let's go."

The pair walked out of the tent early enough that they didn't have to worry about anyone spotting them together, thankfully. The camp was quiet except for the faint sound of the breeze running in between the tents and the whooshing of the fires that the Feroxi soldiers were using to keep themselves warm all around the campsite in that cold morning.

It took them mere minutes to get to Chrom's tent. Robin didn't bother to announce himself, knowing that he was expected to show up that morning. Pushing the flap aside, he entered the tent with Lyn following close behind. It came to him as no surprise to see that the only ones already there were Chrom and Frederick, most likely discussing what their next move should be. The two looked up from the different maps that had been set up on top of the table to look at the new arrivals.

"Robin. Early as always, I see," Chrom said with a smirk. "It goes without saying that Lyn will be joining us today as well, correct?" Robin knew that the bluenette _had_ to point that out just to embarrass him. The man was a good friend—one of his best friends, Robin would say—but the man could go without the teasing. It didn't suit someone that had the title of prince to do such childish things.

"Yes, Chrom. Just like you said, it goes _without saying_ ," Robin repeated, trying to look not bothered, but not betrayed by the slight redness on his cheeks. He glared at the prince when he saw the smirk turning into a full on grin.

Robin didn't have to stand the teasing for long, for which he was thankful, as they were soon joined by both khans, who were having a heated discussion of their own about some aspect of the coming combat they would see. From the little time he'd spent with them before the march started, he could tell that the two bashed heads a lot, even on the smallest of things. This only became more clear after they'd left the capital. Even when not in the war counsel, the two could be heard throughout camp and, sometimes, even during the marches, despite the distance they had from the Shepherds. And yet, it felt more like friendly banter than disagreement between rivals.

"Flavia and Basilio. Just in time," said Chrom. Standing straight, he looked at the two Khans, who stopped their bickering to do the usual greetings to everyone present. "Let's begin this then, shall we? The faster we get done with it the faster we can get a move on. How far away are we from the capital, Frederick?"

"At our current pace and without any complication during our march, we should arrive at Ylisstol before sundown, milord," answered the loyal knight, standing tall and proud besides his liege. The estimation wasn't bad. So far, they hadn't encountered a single bandit nor Risen, which had allowed them to cover the much needed ground. Jumping from twenty odd members of a militia to a force of hundreds of men had slowed them down significantly. Instead of taking them four days to reach Ylisstol, they were already on their sixth, and that was still keeping them ahead of schedule.

Chrom nodded, satisfied with the answer. "What of the scouting party we sent to give word to my sister? Any word from Raimi?"

"Not so far," answered Flavia. "We were expecting a report before we came here, but no one has shown up. Whether that is good news or not it's up in the air. There is always the possibility of them encountering trouble on their way there or their way back or just getting distracted by something else."

"Didn't Marth go with them this time?" Lyn asked. "I haven't known her long, but I doubt that she would let anything other than battle slow them down. And that's without taking into account punctuality lady Raimi has shown so far."

"The lass is right," Basilio said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking thoughtful, a big contrast to how he was minuted before when talking with Flavia. "I don't know much about her either, but Marth was never one to get distracted by anything when she was with me in Ferox. Even if they were greeted with a celebration, I doubt that they would stay in Ylisstol for longer than necessary. They were only meant to send word of our arrival…" They all remained silent, not daring to complete the unspoken thought of Basilio's. The possibility was too real for any of them to feel comfortable, especially with the Mad King living up to his name over and over again.

The silence was only broken when someone new entered the tent. The man, dress in the normal Feroxi soldier attire, was gasping for air. His brow was covered in sweat, Robin noted. The tactician could already feel his heart beginning to race. The soldier looked panicked as he looked at the different faces in the room. "Milords! Dire news from Ylisstol!" Robin could feel his hands going cold. Their worst fears...were coming true. "The city has been taken by Plegian troops!"

"Taken…?" Chom repeated in disbelief. "What of Emmeryn!?" Chrom asked, the panic noticeable in his voice, his eyes completely focused on the soldier. "What of the royal guard? What of the Pegasus Knights?"

The soldier took a step back as he was berated with question after question, but still tried to answer to the best of his knowledge. "I-I can't say, milord… All I'm sure about is that there are no signs of Ylissean allies anywhere along the wall. All we could see were Plegian standards and soldiers all around. We don't have a clear view of the city, let alone the palace or its residents. For all we know, there could be a fight going on in the palace as we speak."

"Where are the rest of our men now, lad?" Basilio moved forward before Chrom could let a word out. "Is Raimi still in Ylisstol?"

"Sire, the commander and the rest of her men are currently gathering intel at the outskirts of the capital and waiting for your arrival," the soldier responded, standing in attention. "She ordered me to return with haste to inform of the current situation. They await orders. Lady Marth wanted to storm the castle, but with our numbers..." The soldier couldn't keep looking at the khan's eyes.

"You did well, soldier," said Flavia as she nodded towards the man. "Go back to the soldiers' camp and await for orders there with the others." The man saluted his superiors and then left the tent as quick as he had entered.

"Damn it!" Chrom's fist met the hard surface of the wooden table, shaking everything on top of it. "How could this have happened? We'd been sending scouts ahead to make sure that everything was going accordingly! How could they all have missed signs of this happening?"

"I was afraid something like this could happen," Robin said through gritted teeth. "Our plan leaned too heavily on getting to Ylisse before Gangrel… Without the Shepherds, all the Mad King needed were a few hundred men to overpower the garrison. We tried our best to hurry and still… If only we hadn't lost so much time in Ferox!" Robin didn't say it, but he was blaming himself. If only he'd been more cautious! If he'd seen his attacker, they would already be marching to Plegia. Emmeryn would be _safe_!

"There is no time to think about what could have been, tactician," said Flavia as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking displeased. "We need a plan of attack and we need it yesterday. If the city is taken, then we just have to take it back and put those Plegian dogs to the sword." Robin involuntarily winced. No matter how much he tried to forget it, those "Plegian dogs" were still his countrymen. He would cut them down for their part on current events, but he could not ignore the fact that if things had been just a little different he would be standing right besides them.

Chrom took a deep breath to regain his composure and then looked at Robin too. "Flavia is right. I know where you were heading. You can't blame yourself for anything that's happened. We can't dwell on what if's. We will have to get the troops moving now if we want to reach Ylisstol in time for an assault. Frederick, Lyn. I need you to go back to camp and have everyone ready to march on the double. Everyone has to be ready for combat. We set off for Ylisstol in an hour, not a _minute_ later!" Both Lyn and Frederick nodded before leaving the tent. "I'm sorry to put you through this so soon, Robin, but I wouldn't feel at ease if I asked anyone else. I hope you can guide us to victory once again as you did so many times before, my friend. If someone can, I know it's you."

Word of what awaited them had spread to camp like fire. People ran around, taking down the tents, collecting their belongings, and securing their equipment for the imminent fight. Many of them would march that day without food in their stomachs. To get to Ylisstol was all they could think. The Shepherds were no different. If one of them still hadn't finished getting their things onto one of the carts, they would run and help them out. They'd been given an hour to be ready to march. Every single soldier in their army was ready in half that time. They stood in formation, ready to march as Chrom, Flavia, and Basilio confirmed that they were to move all the way to the capital without stopping. Anyone that found themselves tired would be left behind.

That morning they marched in silence, as if every single person present were mentally preparing themselves for the battle to come. While the Feroxi looked excited, the Shepherds were much harder to read. A mixture of feelings could be seen on their faces, from fear of what they might find, to anger towards the enemy they would soon be facing. In silence they marched with only the sound of footsteps and metal filling the air. Robin couldn't help but think back of the day Ylisstol had been first assaulted. The Shepherds had been enough to foil the attempt at the live of Emmeryn. Now they were marching many times their original number. The question that plagued the tactician wasn't whether or not they would win. No, what he asked himself was if they would get there in time. It would only take one blade to take down the Exalt, but for them, they had to eliminate every single one of the Plegian soldiers stationed in the city in order to succeed.

But as the others marched on foot or on horse, Robin sat alone in one of the wagons, surrounded by both the supplies that had been put in there and the many tomes that Emmeryn had gifted to him. He was reading through them like a maniac, having spread them out all around him, all open to different pages relating to siege warfare. As he looked at the different strategies of famous tacticians that came before him, he made notes on the books and pieces of loose parchment. _This could work. This will take too long. This one requires trebuchets…_ He sorted through them, mixing and matching what he thought were the best aspects of each strategy. But there was only so much he could cobble together from other's work. The situation they found themselves in was unique to them. For that, he had to think on the fly if he wanted to get everyone in and out alive, not just Emmeryn, the guard, and the Pegasus Knights.

Before he knew it, the wagon had come to a stop and Lissa was calling for him from the front of the wagon. From the frown she gave him, she'd been doing it for some time too. With a quick apology, Robin got off the wagon and stood besides her. If they walked for ten minutes, they would reach Ylisstol. The city looked peaceful with the sun setting to its right, the complete opposite of what was likely going on in it. His heart started racing a bit more. He wished he had more time…

After Lyn joined up with them, the three walked up to the front of the convoy to where Chrom stood with Frederick, Basilio, and Flavia. There were also two other familiar faces with them. Raimi stood proud with her green armor, though she couldn't hide how troubled she was having had to wait for reinforcements. Marth looked even worse. She was physically there, but Robin could tell that she was too preoccupied with the city to be listening to what the others were saying.

Noticing Robin had shown himself, Chrom looked at his tactician with a glimmer of hope that he would know what to do. "Ah, Robin, just in time," he told the Plegian. "Please tell me you have a way out of this one."

The brunette rubbed his chin as he looked back towards Ylisstol once more before returning Chrom's gaze. "I have something in mind, yes… But before we do anything rash, Raimi," he turned to look at the green commander, "you've been observing the enemy for some time, yes? Could you tell us what we are getting ourselves into?"

The short-haired blonde nodded as she pointed to the city. "I've been sending some of my men to do rounds around the city since before we sent word back to the convoy. From what they've reported, the Plegians are gathered on the northern wall. They must had word of our movements and are expecting a full frontal assault. The east and west gates are not as heavily defended, but because of their size, we would be bottlenecked and picked off easily. They could even pour boiling oil. Then there is the south gate. If we act fast, we can take them by surprise and have a hundred of our men take control of it."

"They wouldn't leave an obvious opening like that for us without having a trap set in place…"

"Aye. I believe so too."

"They will see us coming either way. We aren't hidden from them as we are right now," said Flavia. "By the time we can move some troops to the south gate, reinforcements will already be expecting us."

"Agreed," said Robin. "Even with a small garrison, the ones defending have many advantages. It seems that no matter where we attack from we will meet with heavy resistance from the Mad King's men."

"I don't like the sound of that," Lissa said, looking even more nervous than she had been since receiving the news that morning. "Isn't there a way we can just, you know, break in?" With a sudden hit of inspiration, she snapped her fingers, looking excited at the tactician. "What if we have Sumia and Cordelia take us in one by one! That way we can just go right up to the palace!"

Robin sighed, rubbing his temples. "If they have men on the walls, they _will_ have archers. We would be shot down before we can get over the wall. But you are on the right track." Robin couldn't help but smirk. Yes, things just _looked_ like they were on the enemy's favor.

Chrom noticed Robin's expression and found himself smiling. "Something crazy has popped into your head, hasn't it?"

"It's risky, but it's crazy enough to work." Robin nodded. "Khan Flavia, Khan Basilio. You two will assault the north and south gate simultaneously. Whoever takes command of the frontal assault should take most of the troops. I'll go with Raimi's number and say that no more than a hundred men should try to take the south gate. Raimi, take your men to the western gate and try attacking there too."

"That sounds like suicide!" Raimi barked, not looking pleased with having her and her men risk their lives so openly. "You would have us walk to our deaths so easily?!"

"Peace, Raimi. I don't want you to take the gate. I just want them to _think_ that's what you are going for. You'll also be joined by a number of Shepherds, including Lissa and Maribelle for support, just in case.

"And while the enemy struggles to make sense of a battle on three fronts-"

"The rest of the Shepherds can take the east gate!" Lissa said with excitement.

"Not exactly." Lissa pouted. She'd looked so sure she was right, it was almost funny. "Chrom, you will get the hardest role. You will lead a group of eight and _climb_ the wall. If Emmeryn is being held in the palace, we can't let the enemy think they are losing or they would execute her on the spot. Instead, we will head directly to the palace and rescue her. I will give a signal when she is safe for the gates to be secured. Those in the palace will double back and hit the enemies from behind if they haven't fled already."

Basilio let out one of his signatured loud laughs as he looked at Robin. "You were right. That is some crazy plan you have, lad. Never had I thought I would be mounting an attack on Ylisstol! That on itself will make for a good story. But more importantly, I'm curious. How do you plan on scaling the wall? In case you haven't noticed, it's at least thirty feet high."

"Forty-two feet, to be precise," Frederick corrected.

"We have a few people that are more than capable enough to do something like that…"

Chrom and Robin went on to hand pick the group that would be infiltrating the city. Robin said that, because the wall would need more ranged support, all mages (and Virion) should remain with Raimi. He also pointed out that mounted units would not work, which meant that Sumia, Cordelia, Frederick, Isadora, and Stahl were out. Sully, who should have been cut too, had somehow persuaded Chrom to let her come. Robin didn't doubt she was strong enough, but he was worried of how she would perform without her steed. All he could hope for was that she could play the part as good as she claimed.

The tactician looked around to see the people that would be going in. They had themselves— Chrom, Robin, and Lyn—there was Gaius and Legault, both of whom had enough experience of breaking into places, Sully, who'd wrestled her way in, and Panne, whose speed and hearing would aid them once they entered the palace. That left only one spot to fill. That is until Marth volunteered to come with. While at first Chrom was against the idea, Robin had to remind the prince that Marth had some knowledge of the palace, as she'd proven before during the assassination attempt days ago.

"Once we get into the palace, we will split into two teams of four. One will be lead by Chrom and the other by me," Robin explained to the others. "We don't know where they could be holding Emmeryn. Therefore, while Chrom's team will be heading to the throne room, the rest of us will go check the dungeon, just in case. I've already established a mind link with the khans and Frederick to know about the situation outside as well as with Chrom so that we can communicate any of our findings. Unfortunately, I can't see through walls with my other spells. You will have to rely on one another for this one, though I doubt that will be any trouble." The group nodded in unison.

"Until then, stick close to one another and keep out of sight of the enemy," Chrom said. "We can't afford being seen on our way to the palace or we will be in trouble. We would not only put ourselves and Emmeryn's life on the line, but that of the residents as well. Keep that in mind."

After all was said and done, the army was split into the three attacking parties and the infiltration team. Robin moved into position with the rest. The distance from each group was immense. This would become a test as to how far he could communicate with others using magic. Because he knew that greater distances meant more energy consumption, he opted to keep communications with the leaders of the attack. It was nerve wracking. The tactician in him wished he could keep tabs on everyone to make sure they were safe—to warn them of any incoming danger—but alas, that wouldn't be possible. Still, he knew that in a worst case scenario, he could use Eagle Eye to keep track of the movements _outside_ the palace. How beneficial that would be was still up for debate. All he wished was that they could get it all done quick and have Emmeryn safe.

They'd come so far. They had an army. They had the determination to fight the war and _win_. But now, their symbol—their Exalt—was at risk. The future of the war and of Ylisse as a whole hung in the balance. They all had to know it well, which was why the tactician didn't feel a need to tell them how significant that battle would be for the rest of the war.

Finally, when all the pieces were set in place, Robin gave the signal to begin the attack. " _Go_ ," he ordered the khans and Raimi. The battlecries of the hundreds of soldiers echoed through the field as they launched themselves at the walls of Ylisstol, driven by determination and lust for victory.

The infiltration team had to wait patiently for the sentries to mobilise. When they did, the eight of them ran at full speed to the wall, hands on their weapons in case that they were spotted. As they reached it, Robin sent the order to Legault to start climbing. The ex-member of the Black Fang took out a tool from his repertoire and with it, he carved into the stone wall expertly. To the untrained eye, the wall looked like it was one completely smooth slab of stone. The reality of it was that the masons in charge of constructing the wall had used a plaster to hide where one stone brick ended and the next began. Legualt had a keen eye for this kind of details. He didn't hesitate even with the lack of lighting to carve the holes onto the wall. They were just big enough for someone to grab onto, but one wrong move and they would fall. They had no rope as a failsafe. If one of them stumbled, they could take out everyone that was climbing beneath them. Slowly but surely, the team made its way up that wall. At the very top, the Hurricane would extend an arm to pull them individually those last few feet up.

"To think it would be so simple to enter the city undetected…" muttered Marth as she looked at the city from the top of the wall. They wouldn't get a chance to admire the city for longer. Robin made them hurry, though he fell behind Chrom, who knew the layout of the city like the back of his hand.

They ran from cover to cover, moving through mostly alleys to avoid being spotted. If there was an enemy near by, Robin could spot them with Eagle Eye or Panne with her ears and nose. There were a handful of close calls, but luckily they avoided all detection. Entering the palace was even easier than entering the city. They followed Marth's example and climbed in through the collapsed wall, courtesy of Chrom.

" _Here we part ways,_ " Chrom told Robin. " _I leave the basement in your hands, my friend. May the gods be with you._ "

" _As with you, Chrom_ ," Robin responded. The two men nodded at each other, no one else being able to know what they had told one another. He motioned his teammates, Gaius, Lyn, and Marth, to follow him. Though he didn't know the entire layout of the palace, he knew enough to know where everything was except for the rooms of the royals.

The fact that they hadn't found any resistance yet had the Plegian on edge. For such an important location to not be guarded struck him as odd. Even with their low numbers, the Ylissean Royal Soldiers could be seen making round everywhere on a normal day. That begged the question… Where the heck were Gangrel's men hiding?

Robin cursed himself inwardly for jinxing their good fortune when he noticed a small group of men in Plegian rags talking amongst themselves down a corridor. There were six of them in all. Already they were at a disadvantage. If they wanted to even their odds, they would need to make the first strike count.

Taking out his tome and unsheathing his sword, Robin got ready to attack. He knew that as soon as they started the confrontation, any other guards in the vicinity would be alerted. They had to get through and they had to do it quick. Extending his tome in front of himself, he could see the golden runes floating of himself. They teleported towards the closest man to him. The mage found was surrounded by the golden rings now, confused as to what was happening. With a quick flick of the wrist, the shadow wripples teared into the man, leaving a huge cross mark on his back. The spell wasn't called Ruin for nothing. The man, in every sense of the word, was ruined.

Lyn, Marth, and Gaius took this as a signal to attack. The three of them ran towards the remaining enemies with sword in hand, Robin following behind them. Lyn's attack collected with the neck of a spearman before he could get a hold of his weapon. Gaius' attack was parried, but the thief dodge the counterattack by crouching under the axe and then stabbed the man through the chest. Marth was struggling against a myrmidon, but was standing her ground, their swords clashing over and over again. The second enemy myrmidon was about to take advantage of the situation, going for a slash at the bluenette when shadow tendrils got a hold of his legs. Robin had been able to cast Flux just in time to stop the attack. With the man unable to move, Lyn was able to finish him off just as Marth landed a killing blow of her own.

The tactician sighed in relief. It had been a one-sided fight with none of them getting injured. The sound from the clashing weapons and the screams of pain from their enemies, however, traveled through the hallways, just as he had predicted.

Robin ran past the other three, knowing that there was a slight chance they could make it to the dungeon in time. Screw being stealthy! They all ran like mad men in hopes that they wouldn't be too late. The hallways weren't lit too well, but Robin could see stains of dried blood everywhere. Some of the walls and doorframes they passed had notches on them from being hit by swords, axes, and spears. Even the floor was scorched in some places, likely from fire and electrical spells. _The guards didn't go down without a fight_ , he thought. He took it to be a good sign, but at the same time, he felt worried that all these signs could mean that those same guards would already be dead.

Turning another corner, they found themselves looking at the door that lead down to the dungeon. But before they could think of reaching it, they would have to deal with a large group of Plegian soldiers that were on their way. This time, the Shepherds didn't have the benefit of a surprise attack. If they wanted to get by they would have to fight. There was no way about it. Robin clenched his hand around the hilt of his sword as he glanced to his left and then his right. " _Let them come_."

The Plegians had a thirst for blood. They were practically licking their lips, already savouring victory. Their confidence had merit, but Robin knew better than to underestimate the enemy. He taunted the enemy by waving his tome at them playfully, and they took the bait. They all came rushing towards them, ready to spill some blood.

Robin didn't waste any time either. He extended the tome forward, casting his first spell. He went with Ruin once again, aiming it at the lone archer that had stayed at the back of the pack. Trying to get a spell to hit a target from that distance needed his full concentration, more so when there were ten or so other people on the way. The brunette could see the the archer had his bow ready and was aiming it at them. Robin clenched his jaw and focused his energy.

He could feel the flow of magic within his body. He knew something was off. He'd used Ruin often and knew that the flow wasn't the way it should be. And yet, it still felt right! "Here's how it's done," he said under his breath. The pages on his tome began fluttering, turning from the page of Ruin to a blank one. The pages glowed for a second, writing and runes appearing both around him and on the page. At the very top, he could see the name of the spell that his body _wanted_ him to use. _Waste_. He switched his position. He opened his arms wide to either side, ignoring everything going on around him. _This feels...strangely familiar,_ he thought.

A purple mist came out of his shadow and moved towards his enemies like if it were hunting for its prey. All but one of the wall of Plegians slowed down to dodge it. The one that didn't was engulfed by the mist and then screamed in pain as he dropped his weapon to the ground. When the mist released him, there was no life left in the man. But it wasn't over yet!

"You are finished!" Robin shouted as he commanded the mist to continue on it's path towards the archer. The poor guy was too shocked to move. Just like the one before him, the mist engulfed him. Robin could faintly make out the figure trashing around before he too ended on the floor, motionless. This time, the mist didn't go on. It just dissipated completely, the golden magic circles and runes around Robin disappearing with it.

The confidence that the Plegian soldiers had wasn't there anymore. They'd stopped on their tracks, eyeing Robin nervously. They weren't the only ones. Lyn, Gaius, and Marth were all staring at him too, surprised at what they'd just seen.

"What are you all doing?!" The dark mage asked. "This is our chance!" He took the lead this time. The sword on his hand would get some use. As much as he would have liked to keep on using his magic, he had to be careful to not over do it or else they would be cut off from the troops outside Ylisstol.

The team made quick work of the remaining enemies, but not without suffering a few injuries themselves. Having assigned their healers to Raimi's attack force, Robin had made sure they were all supplied with vulneraries. He helped Lyn pour some of the concoction onto a cut on her arm as the other two did the same with their injuries. He'd been spared injury this time thanks to the armor he was wearing. His cloak, on the other hand, would need to be stitched up once again.

It came as no surprise to see another small group of enemies in the main room of the dungeon. For once, the numbers were evened out; a four-vs-four battle. Robin had to deal with a lancer in thick armor. He didn't mind. With his combination of magic and sword, he was the best candidate to deal with the ironclad. The two fought fiercely, clashing many times. Despite being hit by Flux spells twice, the man still stood. That armor of him was too thick and Robin was running low on energy. He got his tome ready for a third time, but this time he planned to use a spell that would not only deal with the enemy, but also help him restore some of his spent energy. _Nosferatu_. When the spell hit the man, Robin could feel the vitality coming to him. The damage it dealt was enough for the lancer to lower his weapon long enough for Robin to go for a piercing strike. The iron chestplate was cut through easily. The man finally fell to the ground, being the last enemy in the room to die.

After a quick break, they all searched through the cells for any captives. They all came back with no luck except for Gaius, who'd found one "full to the brim" with survivors. "You'll want to check it out for yourself, Bubbles," said the thief as he popped a piece of hard candy into his mouth. "Didn't see any blonde hair in there. Doubt the Exalt is here."

The candyman directed them to the furthest cell there was. Like he'd said, it was completely full of Ylissean Soldiers. There were even a couple of Pegasus Knights in there. Using some sort of lockpick, Gaius had no issue opening the lock. The iron-barred door swung open slowly and the four of them came in. Everyone looked in a bad shape. They had injuries that had not been treated and were on the verge of being infected. Robin told them to move to the main room to get some treatment. Those that couldn't move received a helping hand from one of the Shepherds.

"What's happened to the Exalt?" He found himself asking each one he helped, but the responses were all the same. They didn't know. From what he was told, they had all been captured together. But while they'd all been taken down to the dungeon, Emmeryn, Phila, and the other Pegasus Knights had been taken to the throne room.

"If that's so, why are there two Pegasus Knights here?" Robin asked one of the guards.

"They thought them dead, milord," said the man. "They brought them down all beaten up hours after they did us-" He winced in pain as Robin did his best to bandage him up with the few supplies that were in the room. "Turns out, they'd just passed out! My guess is tortue… How they'd held up to life is beyond me. They must be bless by Naga herself…"

After he was finished with the soldier, he walked to one of the Pegasus Knight. She had been laid down on the floor, holding her side with a pained look. There were several bruises on her face and arms. He crouched down besides her and then took out his own vulnerary. "Drink this," he told her as he moved the bottle close to her lips. "It should help numb the pain until we find you a proper healer."

The girl gladly sipped some of the liquid before she pushed the bottle away. Robin was about to scold her about it when she spoke, "you'll need it more than I do, Sir Robin. Didn't think I would be seeing any of the Shepherds again. You might not recognize me after the number they did on me, those dastards…! But I was one of the knights that accompanied the Exalt back to the palace."

"You are one of Phila's knights, then," Robin said. "Do you know where they could be holding her and Emmeryn?"

The look the girl gave him was grim. Robin could feel his heart dropping. "They… The Mad King's men the Exalt and my knight-sisters," she said, her eyes misting a bit. "I...I tried to have them release the lady Emmeryn. We both did." She noded towards the other Pegasus Knight that was being treated by Gaius. "But all that did was get us here."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort. He could see that she was holding up just barely. "Do you know where they took them?"

She nodded weakly. "One of the soldiers that was watching over us slipped out that they were being taken back to Plegia, Sir. I think...they are planning on executing them."

Robin tried to keep a calm exterior, but on the inside he was mortified by what he was hearing. Emmeryn was still in danger! This was bad! "That's enough for now," he told her reassuringly. "You did great. You went beyond the call of duty. Everyone will tell you that. Just… Rest. We will take care of the rest."

" _Robin,_ " came the voice of Chrom. " _We had no luck! We checked the throne room and some of the bedrooms, but Emmeryn is nowhere to be seen. Please tell me you've found her._ "

" _We secured the dungeon and found the Royal Guard... or what's left of it. Sorry Chrom, but...Emmeryn is not here. There is a Pegasus Knight here that tells me that Gangrel has taken her back to Plegia_."

" _WHAT?! We have to go after her, Robin! We have to go_ NOW!"

" _Peace, Chrom. I can't begin to understand what you are feeling, but we can't leave like this! We must see to Ylisstol and it's citizens' safety before doing anything rash! For now, got to the north gate and help there. I'll send word to the khans on what to do."_

With the help of those that could still fight, Robin headed for the south gate. He send an order to Raimi to abandon the attack on her gate and that she too should head for the south gate to offer support there instead. Within an hour, both gates had been secured. The Plegian soldiers that were still alive by then had routed, handing control of the city back to the Halidom. Though it was a monumental victory that they should be proud of, there was little celebration amongst the ranks as word of Emmeryn's fate spread like wildfire. Hell, Lissa _collapsed_ from the shock! Robin had been able to catch her before she hit the floor, but even with his support, she could hardly stand.

"What do we do now?" Basilio asked. "Gangel knows we will follow after him. He'll lay traps for us so that he can get his hands on the Emblem."

"That doesn't matter right now," Chrom said. "Traps we can deal with. We have to catch up to them before they do anything to Emmeryn. I'll make them pay… All of them!"

"Easy, Chrom," said Flavia. "I know that you want to get your sister back safely. Trust me, I do too. We _will_ make Gangrel pay for what he's done, but we can't charge blindly. Like the oaf said, we can assume we will find heavy resistance and traps of all sorts the closer we get to their capital. I personally don't mind getting into a fight or two, but I have to think of the lives of my soldiers too. We suffered minimal losses today, but losses all the same. We can't put those lives on the line without a plan of some kind in place."

"Better to go in with a plan than go in blind, lad," Basilio agreed. "But knowing your tactician, I'm confident that he can come up with something. Ha! Look around you! We took the city away from the Plegians as easily as candy from a baby."

"You... are both completely in the right," said Chrom, letting out a sigh in defeat. "I apologize. My judgment is clouded right now."

"You can apologize all you want after we get your sister back," said Flavia with a grin. "And trust me, Chrom. We will get her back."

"I appreciate your kind words, Flavia." He then turned to look at Robin, giving him a sympathetic smile. "Looks like you'll have your hands full again, Robin."

Robin chuckled as he got a better hold of Lissa's shoulders. "Don't worry, Chrom. In case you've forgotten, Plegia is home turf for me too. All those tricks that they might think are known only to them I will turn in our favor," he said with both confidence and pride in his voice. "What's more, I might know a way to get her back already, although I will need to iron out the details to make it foolproof."

"If this one thinks his plan will work, then you know it is a good plan!" Basilio hit Robin on the shoulder, almost causing him to drop Lissa if it hadn't been for Lyn catching him. He could hear her giggle, much to his embarrassment, and she wasn't the only one.

They all went their separate ways after that. Robin and Lyn helped Lissa find her way to her room in the palace, where Maribelle was waiting for her. Worried as ever, the noble girl took her friend in, thanking them both for looking after her and assuring them that she would make sure to keep an eye on the usually cheerful pig-tailed girl.

Robin was thankful that they would be holding off the march until the next day. Between coming up with the strategy to secure the city and the many fights of that day, he was exhausted and starving. Thankfully, he knew he could do something about one of the two when he smelled the aroma of cooked meat in the air.

On the way to the mess hall, Robin stopped when he spotted Chrom sitting alone in the throne room. The prince looked just as tired as Lissa had when they left her to Maribelle. The difference between the siblings being that while Lissa could rest, Chrom could not. He had an army to lead and the eyes of every Ylissean were on him as well. Emmeryn's life hung on the balance, which could tilt over if he made a wrong move.

He took a step towards his friend but stopped again when he noticed a figure sit down next to the prince. He recognized the red armor and short hair that shared the color. When Sully placed her hand on the bluenette's shoulder, Robin could feel a smile pulling at the corner of his lips. _That explains why she was so adamant on coming_ , he thought.

"Is something wrong?" Lyn asked from behind him.

"No," Robin answered, "everything is fine. Let's go. I'm starving!"

The meal he had that day was the best one he'd had since- well, ever! The chefs at the palace really knew their stuff. The variety was amazing too. Every kind of meat, fruit, and vegetable was available for them. It was a feast to celebrate their victory, but also one that would really mark the start of their campaign against Plegia. The only sad thing about it was that this would be the first and last time he would have to enjoy such an extravagant meal until the war ended. Lyn seemed to enjoy the meal too. Everyone did. Isadora was recounting Raimi's prowess in battle alongside Stahl, each filling in parts of the story that the other forgot. Virion talked about how he'd nailed one of the sentries between the eye from what had to be an exaggerated distance. Even Panne and Legault talked about how things went on their side, Legault praising both Sully's and Chrom's combat style. All in all, it was a good end for a troublesome day.

That night the Shepherds had been allowed to stay in their personal rooms in the barracks. Just thinking about it made Robin flush. Sleeping on a bedroll was one thing. Sleeping on the same bed with Lyn… He shook his head to get any weird thoughts from going any further. It didn't have to be any different than while they were marching! _Well, except that she will probably lay with me on the bed from the start since she can't bring in her own bed…_

"Is everything okay, Mark?" Lyn asked as they walked towards the barracks. "You seem flustered. Or should I say, _more_ flustered than usual?"

"I-It's nothing," he looked away to prevent her from seeing his reddening cheeks. "My mind was some other place, that's all."

"That I can't believe," said Lyn with a teasing tone. "I've been told many times that I'm a bad liar. Birds of a feather flock together, no? You can lie to others, but I can tell when you do it. I know you better than you think, Mark."

"Good thing you can't read minds then," he whispered to himself.

"What was-"

"Robin, a word," came the voice of Marth as she walked towards them.

"Marth," Robin called out in surprise. "I wasn't expecting to see you here of all people. Is there something you need?"

"Don't worry," she said, "this will only take a second." Taking out her sword, he ran towards Robin at full speed. Both Robin and Lyn were reaching down for their weapons when a fourth figure showed up, knocking Marth to the ground.

"Took you long enough to try something again," said Legault as he kicked the swords out of Marth's reach. Robin could only look at the pair in confusion as Legault spoke again, "though I didn't think you stupid enough to go for him here." He crouched down next to Marth, a dagger pointed at the girl's neck. "I suppose I pegged you for someone smarter. You did blend in well during that whole week."

"Legault! What is going on?!" Robin asked, still not being able to process the situation that had unfolded in front of him.

"Sorry about this interrupting your flirting, you two," he teased with a cocky smile as he glanced at them for a second. "I've been following this one here for quite some time now. When she first attacked you, I had my mind set on calling her out, but when I saw that she had the trust of the others, I decided to keep it to myself instead."

"Get off of me!" Marth said as she tried to push Legault's knee from top of her. He was pinning her down with ease. "You don't know what you are doing!"

"Oh? Is that so? Then you deny stabbing Mark here—Robin, as you call him—in Arena Ferox?"

"W-Wait, Legault, you...you can't be serious," Robin stammered.

"Can't I? You _saw_ what she was trying to do, didn't you?" He turned his eyes to Lyn. "What about you, Lady Lyn? Can you deny that this woman here tried to run your lover with a sword just now?" Lyndis could only furrow her brow in response.

"But why?! What would she have to gain from this?!" Robin's voice was carried throughout the corridor. "Marth has done nothing but help us so far! So why?!"

"That… I do not know," Legault confessed as Marth continued to struggle to get him off of her. "And I doubt that she'll tell us. I know it's hard to swallow, Mark. Betrayal? It is difficult to accept, no matter what side you are on… But I'll have you know, I wasn't the only one that suspected this girl, was I, my rabbit-eared friend?"

Robin believed her eyes couldn't widen more after what he'd seen, but when the taguel walked out of the shadows and stared at him with cold eyes, he knew he was mistaken.

"He speaks the truth," Panne reaffirmed.

* * *

I'm going to keep my thought to myself on this one to see how you interpret everything that happened. On to reviews!

 **Whatstoknow** -Makes me really happy to hear that! This story is like a little baby (read like Gregor, plz) to me since it's my first real ff, so I'm glad to hear you say that! How you enjoy this chapter~

 **potatoman098** -Hahaha I thought about keeping it secret at first, but I can't remember why I switched it now... Meh, no big deal! Very good questions, yes... But I can't answer them for obvious reasons. Geez, I guess you have no other option but to keep reading if you want to know those answers xP Hahahahaha! Poor Lissa, no one believes in her.

 **speedking535** -Your wish is my command (not really.) Don't see much of a reaction from Robin on this one, unfortunately. You'll have to wait for the next one for that. But her! There were a few reveals here, so that's cool, right?

 **Sugouxxx** -I know what you mean with Lloyd. It's weird. He doesn't show up all that much but I still wanted to be able to recruit him _so bad!_ Too bad that now when I hear that name I think about the character from Tales of Symphonia instead of him. Robin x Lyn stuff here, though not too much. Just you wait! When this arc ends (about 4 more chapters, give or take 1), there will be a _lot_ more of that.

 **Henry1464** -I know it's very cliche. I would normally never go with something like that, but I couldn't have her get caught there. I have my reasons as to why I need ed that to happen in Ylisstol. Probably won't be revealed until much later. Still, 9/10? Not that bad! Gotta bring that back to 10/10 IGN, somehow.

 **Antiques thief** -People are really sensitive when you kill a character they like. I've seen it too many times. That being said, yes, I've thought about having characters from _both_ games dying in this story. I don't mind having a bunch of characters since most of them are on the background anyways, but it would help push the idea that this time line is not the same from the game even further. As for who I would kill...I have a couple of ideas already if I decide on going with that route.

 **starlightkitsune2178** -Oooh is that so? I never got Yen'fay. Good to know! Thank you for that! It's weird because when I look online for info about possible connections I can find little to none of it. Freaking wiki sites need to update their info!

 **werehogdog** -Glad you liked that. To answer your question, it is similar in that he is wearing armor under the coat, but that's it. The armor is not the armor of the grandmaster. I gave a few more hints on this chapter about it.

 **allen Vth** -O-Of course! Just to watch his back, right? It's not like she likes him or anything -tsun! Wait, that's not right... I was thinking of Severa there for a second. And Anna has to show up in more fics around here! In the case of this one she hasn't because she hasn't been recruited, but when she does, you can bet you'll be seeing more of her!

 **Yellowclover** -If someone took their time to write a long review, then I think it's only fair I do the same. Plus, it's fun for me, so there is that. Yeah, I did try to change the dialogue as much as I could. The first half of the flashback does heavy changes, but the second half I found much harder to play with mostly because I liked the flow it had in the game. I did change a few things there too (take stuff out, put stuff in) but yeah, the scene with Lyn and her grandfather stuck very close to the game. For the mark thing, Lucina would know who among the Shepherds would notice and who wouldn't (detailed oriented or not.) She could easily stay clear of someone like Miriel, for example, when they are in such a big place like Arena Ferox. For this chapter, I hint that she has been leaving with Raimi as a a scout, which means that she isn't seen much in camp either during the march. It isn't that she is hiding the mark as much as she is hiding herself, in a way. Hahaha, I know, cliche, right? Check out what I wrote to Henry1464 up there. He had a similar comment about it. It is a fair assessment of it. Then again, the times the game pulled stuff like that? Just _how_ could they never notice that Lucina was a girl?! Silly Shepherds. As for the game, I'll see if I can get a hold of it. I'm starting crunch time at work, and with Fallout 4 out, I don't have much time for other games. Still, gotta add that to the list!

 **animeandgamerlover2** -Thank you, thank you. Hope you like this one too.


	17. And so she revealed

Hello, hello! It's been a while since I made a chapter for this story this fast, but I've set my sights on completing this first arc before the end of the year! Hopefully my other stories won't suffer for it... Anyways, before you go on, let me tell you something about this chapter, okay? A lot of this was going to be included in the previous chapter, but I didn't quite like the flow, so I thought I would include it in the chapter with them marching into Plegia. Well, turns out, after writing all of this, adding to it the march didn't work either! SO, what else can I do? Make it its own chapter! This also explains why the chapter is shorter than the last five (this one has close to 7k words for the story, while the others averaged at around 10k.) That doesn't mean I think this is a bad one! Not at all. I really liked writing this one because it's _so_ dialogue heavy.

On a side note, I want to thank all of you for the support you've been giving this story so far. Every time I read a new review it makes me really happy and gets my brain kickstarted to write a new chapter. To tell you that I already know how the last three chapters of this story—that's right, the story, not the arc—are going to go should tell you something. Anyways, thanks again, guys and gals!

I hope you like this one. As always, remember to leave a review to let me know what you think! What were you happy with? What didn't work so well for you? And if you really liked the story, click Follow and/or Favorite! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 17: And so she revealed_

Marth stopped struggling when Panne showed herself. Whether that was because she was afraid of the taguel or because she realized just how much the odds were stacked against her, Robin did not know. His mind was a mess trying to figure out everything that had just happened. He couldn't even get a word out, he just stood there with his mouth agape like an incredulous idiot. Meanwhile, Legault produced a piece of rope from a pouch under his cloak, which he used to tie up Marth's arms behind her back after being able to turn her around. Now restrained, she was completely powerless to him, though she continued to scowl at the thief after he pulled her get back to her feet. The way she looked at him was filled with hatred, though by the way she was biting onto her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, she was probably cursing herself for own recklessness.

"What should we do now…?" Lyn asked, uncertain. Since Legault had revealed that the bluenette had been the one responsible for the events of two weeks prior, she hadn't let her eyes wander away from the traitor. Like she would during battle, she kept her hand over the hilt of her sword. She didn't look too comfortable with the turn of events either, her expression showing both anger and confusion. "Chrom should be informed about this. To have a traitor infiltrate his ranks like that… He won't be happy." Marth flinched, but did not try to move away from Legault's grasp.

Likewise, Panne didn't look pleased with the turn of events. She had crossed her arms over her chest, grabbing onto the opposite bicep strongly, her nails—or rather her claws—digging somewhat into her skin just enough not to draw blood. "She should be punished for what she's done," said the taguel with obvious spite. "We have enough proof on this man-spawn to deliver a punishment. Telling the others about this will only complicate things further."

"I agree with the both of you," said Legault, still keeping his cool. "She will receive a fitting punishment, of that I'm sure. However, as prince of Ylisse and leader of this army, Lord Chrom should be the one deciding what is to be done with her. We have to tell him… But not before we get a chance to question her ourselves first. As Panne said, telling the others will complicate things. If we want answers, then it will be best to go for it before others get involved. Otherwise, we may never get another chance to do so. Afterall, there are certain things that can't be discussed with others around."

"And you think she will answer your questions truthfully?"

He shrugged, looking back at Panne with a wicked smile that would send shivers down anyone's spine. "I can be…" he let his words hang in the air for a second, "...persuasive in situations that call for it. _Interrogation_ is just one of the many skills I gained while working as an assassin over the years… I've broken bigger and stronger people before—both men and women. A child won't be any more of a challenge."

The implied suggestion frightened Robin. The phrasing suggested only one thing, but he didn't want to think that it would come to that. "...You are not talking about just questioning, are you?" Robin asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. When Legault showed a faint smile, it was enough for the tactician to understand. He hoped that it wouldn't come down to that. If he could, he would even intervene. Though Marth had made two attempts at his life, she had also saved Lissa and warned them of the attempt on Emmeryn's life. That had to count for something.

"For now, we move her to the dungeon. The royal guards that were there have already been moved out to be checked by our healers, leaving it empty for us to use. In the meantime, if you could go fetch Dame Isadora, I would appreciate it." The request was directed at Panne, who raised an eyebrow before Legault explained further. "I know you get along with her, or at least you don't hold any grudges against her. It shouldn't be too hard for you to convince the knight to accompany you. What we will discuss involves her as well. It will be better for her to be there, as she will have questions of her own."

Panne closed her eyes, looking more relaxed. "Very well. But should you start this without me, _someone_ will pay for it." She turned around and started walking towards the barracks. Robin was surprised by the interaction between the taguel and the thief. Just a few days ago their dynamic was so different. Actually, it couldn't even be called that. There was an unknown tension between them. Back then he'd dismissed it as Panne not liking Legault for the simple reason of being human, but now…?

With a hand on the back of Marth's neck and the other on her arm, Legault was ready to move the prisoner. When he started walking the opposite way that Panne had taken, Lyn and Robin followed him without another word. They walked through the palace undisturbed, their footsteps echoing through the dimly lit empty hallway decorated by both art and signs of combat. Most of the Shepherds had either retired to the barracks or were still at the dining hall enjoying a moment of peace before the march took it away from them. Even the doors to the dungeon were left unguarded, which made sense when Robin considered that there were no prisoners being held at the moment—all the Plegian soldiers had perished during combat or routed. For that he was thankful. He trusted Legault wouldn't harm Marth unless it was absolutely necessary, but he knew that the man didn't care about hiding his origin. And if the Hurricane wanted Isadora to be there too, Robin knew that the questions would revolve around the Fang.

When he felt a hand take hold of his, he turned to look at its owner. The way she looked at him was as if she was trying to say "it'll be okay" and "I'm here for you". She must have felt his unease. With Lyn's hand on his he was able to calm down, if only just a bit, but the questions that plagued his mind remained. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to wait long for answers. Once they entered the dungeon, Legault didn't waste any time to get things ready. He searched Marth up and down to get anything that she could use to attempt an escape off of her. The search only produced a few personal items like anyone would carry, but nothing dangerous. They opened a cell for her and, after undoing her binds, locked her up.

An awkward silence ensued while they waited for Panne to return with Isadora. Legault had dragged a chair with him and was now sitting in front of the cell, playing with his dagger, eyes set on Marth. Robin was pacing around back and forth, trying not to start questioning Marth right away. In his head, he was figuring out what he wanted to ask first. Lyn, she was leaning against a wall, looking at Robin as he moved. As for Marth, she'd sat on the floor, hugging her knees and looking down at the ground.

The silence was broken when Lyn called out to Legault, getting the attention from both the thief and the tactician. "Why are you working with Panne of all people, Legault?" Lyn asked. "From what I've seen, though she doesn't hesitate to fight with us, she keeps her distance from most of us whenever possible. Not only that, but you two didn't seem to get along when I saw you around camp since you joined…"

"Taguel are very interesting, as it turns out," he explained, not bothering to turn around and face her. "They are like nothing I've ever seen. Those ears? I thought they were just for show, but they actually allow her to listen to things from a long distance. Likewise, her smell and level of nightvision are far beyond what an average human being can achieve, even with training… For how long do you think I've been following your group?"

The question took Robin off guard. He stopped pacing to look at Legault. "Wasn't it since the day I was attacked?" Robin asked, to which Legault shook his head.

"That's the day I joined you, not the day I started following you. No, I've been following you for _long_ before that, Mark. To be exact, it started the day you first came to Ylisstol."

"What…? If that's true then why didn't you join us from the start?"

Legault shrugged. "There was no need for me to do so. You had everything under control, as to be expected of the tactician of the Lycian League. My mission was to look out for Fang activity around you, not to intervene with anything unless your life was at stake. Even after Lady Lyndis joined, following you was not a problem… That is, until the first attack at the palace. Turns out, the rabbit _knew_ from the day she joined that there was someone tailing you. Again, her hearing and sense of smell are amazing. Though she never saw me, she made it increasingly difficult for me to conceal myself as days went by. And when I finally showed myself? She didn't waste any time to confront me about it." He smirked as he recalled the events.

Just as he was about to continue, the door swung open and Panne walked in followed by Isadora, who closed the door behind her. The two women looked around the room, trying to get their bearings. The knight's eyes widened when she noticed who they were holding in the cell. She quickly turned to look at the others. "What is happening here? Why has Lady Marth been incarcerated?"

"Attempt of murder and treason amongst other things.." Legault slowly stood up from his chair. "Now that we are all here, we can begin the interrogation."

"Wait a moment," Robin called out. "I don't think having Panne here for this is wise…"

"If you are afraid of your secret, tactician, Legault has already filled me in on it," Panne said, leaving Robin speechless.

Legault shrugged it aside, saying, "needed to be done. Otherwise I wouldn't have earned her trust and cooperation. But that's a discussion for another time, yes? Now, if there is nothing else…?" Robin sighed and shook his head. There were now two Shepherds that knew about their little secret. So much for secrecy. At least he could trust that Panne wouldn't let it out of the bag with how little she interacted with the others. Lissa was a whole other story…

"I will get straight to the point," Legault continued as he turned to face Marth. He walked over to the cell. Grabbing onto the bars, he leaned in further. "We know that it was you who attacked Mark that night in Arena Ferox. That is a fact. Trying to deny it won't get you anywhere. That leaves only your motive as a mystery. What could you possibly gain from murdering Mark in cold blood? So, answer me this—the question in all of our minds: are you working or in any way affiliated with the Black Fang?"

Marth turned her head to look at the thief, looking quizzical. She practically cringed at the mention of the organization, furrowing her brow. "The Black Fang?" She repeated as to confirm she wasn't hearing things.

"Is there a problem?" Legault asked, not amused by what seemed like her buying time to come up with a cover story.

"A problem, you say..." She looked away to snicker only to look back at her interrogator with an ice cold look. "Of course there is! The Black Fang? Don't make me laugh... That's nothing more than a fairy tale! How can I be part of a group that does not _exist_?"

Isadora took a step forward. Keeping her voice under control—not too friendly nor aggressive—and told the bluenette, "I assure you, Lady Marth, this is no jest." Marth looked over at the knight, her brow still furrowed. "The Black Fang is as real as you and I. Many years ago, under the tactical mind of Lord Mark, we—Master Legault, Lady Lyndis, and I, to name a few—fought against them. Master Legault himself had been part of the Black Fang for some time before leaving them and eventually defecting to our cause."

"...You can't be serious…" the girl shook her head, looking disappointed in the knight. "Even Owain wouldn't believe something like that… Do you honestly expect me to believe all you've said to be true? Do you take me for a fool?"

"Dame Isadora isn't one to lie," Legault interjected, moving back to his chair, but only resting his hands on the backrest. "You are free to believe whatever you want. Our credibility is not the one being questioned right now. Yours, however, is. You misunderstand your position. We are the ones that get to ask the questions. Now, _clearly_ this time: are you or are you not part of the Fang?"

"No…" she answered, looking somber.

Before Legault could ask his own question, Robin had to intervene. His mind was full of things he wanted to know too, but if he was to get any answers, he would need to turn the things to his own rhythm. "Are you working for the Mad King?"

Marth was taken aback by the question. It left her wide-eyed and with her mouth agape. It took her a second, but once she regained her composure, she turned to look at the tactician and, looking insulted, she yelled, "no!" She noticed she'd raised her voice more than she'd intended. Quickly and with a far more reasonable level, she continued, "I would _never_ work for someone like the Mad King! He is a monster than would do unspeakable things to Ylisse in the name of vengeance."

It made him glad to hear her say that. On the back of his mind, however, he kept repeating to himself that she could be lying to get out of the situation. "Validar then?" The chances of the girl knowing who he was referring to were close to none. The name was obscure even in Plegia. Only those in politics or with connections to the Grimleal had heard that name before. Still, it didn't hurt to try. Much to his surprise, the name did elicit a reaction similar to the one she gave for his previous question.

"No!"

"Then, have we met before? Before the night you saved Lissa's life near Southtown?" For the first time since the questioning began, Marth remained quiet, her azure eyes downcast. "If you are not with the Fang, Gangrel, nor Validar, I can only conclude that you have a personal grudge against me. Perhaps we've met long ago and I wronged you somehow?" Again, she didn't respond.

Though the others were willing to wait for Marth to answer, Panne was losing her patience. "You are in no position to remain silent, man-spawn," the taguel reminded Marth. "Answer the question"

Marth flinch. Panne's words were harsh, but it was what they needed to move forward. "I… I did know you, when I was but a child," the bluenette confessed, still not willing to look anyone in the eye. "But… You didn't know me..."

When it looked like she wasn't going to continue, Legault intervened with yet another push. "A vague answer. _How_ did you-"

The door opened once more. To everyone's surprise, Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa were standing at the doorway, peering in. Robin would have liked to get some more answers out of Marth, but it would seem like their time was over. The three walked in and looked around. Before long, it was Chrom who asked what the three were probably thinking. "What's going on here? Why is Marth in a cell?"

Legault took a few steps back, turning around to face the new arrivals. "Ah, Prince Chrom! Your timing is impeccable. You'll be glad to know that we've captured the one responsible for the attempt on Mark's life in Ferox."

"But I only see Marth here," said Lissa, who looked as confused as a child trying to make sense of a political conversation. For a moment she looked around the room as if looking for an evil looking individual that fit better the image of a would-be assassin. "Wait a second," she muttered, the realization finally striking her. "Are you saying Marth was the one…?"

"Mark and I were returning to the barracks after our meal when we were stopped by Marth," Lyn explained. "We exchanged a few words before she drew her sword on us without warning. As she was running to strike, Legault knocked her to the ground, disarmed her, and restrained her."

"I find all of this to be hard to believe," said Frederick with his usual stoic tone. "Marth has come to our aid twice before. She's not shown resentment towards Robin or anyone of us, for that matter. Her attacking Robin now without a cause is unthinkable."

"Believe me, Frederick," Robin started, looking at the knight with discomfort. "If there is anyone here that wants answers to solve this mess it would be me. We've been questioning her for a bit, but we still don't know her motive."

Chrom nodded at Robin. "I don't have any reason to doubt the word of any of you. You've proven yourselves many times over that you are trustworthy. I am curious, though… I've explained why Lyn, Robin, and Legault are here, but what about Panne and Isadora?"

"I was with Legault at the time of the attack," Panne said matter-of-factly.

"You were?" Lissa asked, the faintest grin forming at the mention of something that could be juicy gossip. Robin could swear the princess was shivering in anticipation, wanting to sink her teeth on the information. Somehow, Lissa could always focus on less important matters when she heard something that interested her more. "I thought you two disliked each other."

Legault chuckled. "As an old poet once said: the line between love and hate can be indistinguishable, milady." The thief proceed to wink at the taguel. The speed at which the thief could come up with things to gain control of the conversation was frightening. In the years since Robin had last seen him, the man had sharpen his skills even more than the tactician would have expected.

Panne didn't find the humor in the comment. "Watch what you say, man-spawn," she told him as she glared daggers at him. "Don't test your luck."

"I see you haven't changed much, Master Legault," said Isadora with a nostalgic smile. "Although I fear that one of these days you will tease the wrong person and end up in harm's way for it."

"You worry too much, though I would be lying if I said I don't appreciate your concern. But getting back on topic, to answer Prince Chrom's second half of the question, Isadora has valuable experience as an interrogator. I thought it wise to call for her as soon as possible to get as much as we could out of Marth."

"Very well. Have you found out anything relevant?" Chrom asked.

"Not much, milord," Isadora said. "Marth claims not to be with any of our known enemies. Her word carries minimal sway as to whether we can trust her or not, however. She _did_ betray our trust not once but twice already. It wouldn't come as a surprise if she was lying to us now too."

"Perhaps it would be best for us to do some questioning of our own, milord," Frederick suggested. "We could compare notes with Isadora afterwards and come to a more decisive conclusion."

"I agree, that seems to be the best course of action," said Chrom before turning to Robin. "It's hard for me to say this, Robin, but any formal trial and punishment will have to wait until we come back from Plegia. Emmeryn is still the Exalt, even if I'm the one in charge in her absence. It is for her to decide what is to be done with Marth. Her part on saving Emm's life can't go unnoticed either, as the counselors will point out…"

The brunette didn't feel entirely comfortable with the situation. The idea that Marth could somehow escape while they were away crossed his mind. If that were to happen, it could throw another pebble into their cogs, forcing the march to come to a halt. Then again, Chrom was making a rational decision. They simply couldn't spare more time than they already had if they wanted to get Emmeryn back safely.

"I understand, Chrom," said Robin. "Truth be told, I want to put this behind me so that I can concentrate on working out the details for our counteroffensive. I still need to look at and approve the supply lists, and make sure that everyone is well equipped before we leave Ylisstol."

"It's good to see you are already thinking ahead, my friend. For now, all of you should head back to the barracks and get some rest. You will need it for tomorrow's march. In the meantime, Frederick and I will start our own questioning. We can reconvene again in the morning once we set off."

The group agreed with Chrom's course of action. One by one, the others left the room, Robin being the last and closing the door behind him. They all decided not to speak of Marth to the others until Chrom made the announcement himself in order to avoid a commotion. Though he felt bad about leaving the others out of the loop, the tactician knew better than anyone that sometimes, not knowing was for the best. In the end, they went their different ways. Robin and Lyn decided to go back to their original plan and headed back to the barracks together, but before they could get too far, Legault approached them.

"She has interesting eyes," he told Robin. The comment came out of nowhere. The thief didn't elaborate either. He simply walked away, leaving Robin scratching his head.

When they entered his room, it felt smaller than he remembered. As he looked around, he noticed pieces of furniture there that weren't there before. They weren't the only thing that had changed. Many tomes of different sizes, widths, and colors had been set on a bookshelf. Taking a closer look at them, he could tell that most of them revolved around strategy. On the desk to the side of the bookshelf, there was a small package and a letter. Taking the letter first, he inspected the envelope. It wasn't signed, but it didn't need it. The stamp with the mark of the Exalt was enough for him to know who had written it. It was a thank you letter from Emmeryn herself, telling him that she'd collected more texts that could help him. It was bittersweet to read the letter. Those kind words she'd written lifted his spirit, but knowing that her life was in danger brought him back to reality.

Robin noticed that there was no mention of the package on the letter. Setting it down after reading it once over in case he'd missed anything, he inspected the small package. It was lightweight and rectangular. There was nothing written on it that would tell him if it was supposed to be his or not. He assumed that if it was in his room it would be meant for him. Slowly peeling the wrapping away, he let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. On the back of his mind he'd been thinking it was some sort of trap. Turns out, it was a book. A novel. Written on one of the first pages was a message that read, _Sorry for the wait! I hope you like it!_ Below that was the signature of a certain pegasus knight. _Sumia_. With everything that had happened, he'd forgotten all about it. Perhaps it was Sumia's way to get him to relax, or maybe she'd just found a good book to share with him. Either way, Robin was happy.

"I get a homely feeling being in here," said Lyn, who'd been pacing around, admiring the room. "This is more of what I expected from you. Books everywhere. You would always hold up in your tent with books back then. I remember thinking you had to be some scholar to be that studious." They smiled at each other for a second before they chuckled.

With a more relaxed atmosphere, the two talked for a while. Eventually, Lyn became sleepy and laid down on his bed. He found it that talking with her had been a good distraction from everything else. He wasn't too long into the night yet, so he decided to get some of his work done. In a small book he'd been using since leaving Ferox, he made notes of things they would need, possible strategies to deal with different Plegian formations that he knew about, and even Shepherds that he could pair together for combat.

He worked into the night, the candlestick on his desk shortening by half. But as time passed, he found it harder and harder to focus on what was in front of him. The letters became blurry and the sentences didn't make any sense. Normally he would go to bed if he knew that he wouldn't be able to work anymore, but that night, he just couldn't. Looking back at the bed, he could see Lyn sleeping peacefully without a care in the world. Any other night he would have loved to join her, but that night he had something he wanted to settle.

Sneaking out of his own room made him chuckle. He'd left behind his armor, weapons, and even his cloak, knowing that he wouldn't need them where he was heading. Plus, the noise of wearing that stuff could wake some of the other Shepherds. It didn't take him long to find himself in front of where he wanted to be. This time, the doors had two guards holding onto spears guarding the door. The poor guys looked tired too. _Right back to work, huh?_

Convincing the guards to let him enter wasn't too difficult. They'd been some of the ones that he'd helped release that day. Knowing who he was and seeing that he didn't bother carrying any weapons with him, the two guards allowed him to enter, no questions asked except for offering to go with him as a precaution, which Robin denied.

He could hear the faint sound of Marth sobbing once he entered. Marth didn't react to him at all. He was able to walk all the way to the chair that was still in front of the cell she was in. "Marth?" he called out. The girl, slowly turned to look at him. Even with the low light, he could see that her eyes were bloodshot, tears coming down her poofy cheeks. _Were Frederick and Chrom that harsh with her?_

The bluenette sat up, wiping away her tears with her sleeves, but refusing to meet his eyes again. She only sat there in silence, sniffling. Robin scratched the back of his head. He felt awkward. Seeing her crying reminded him that the girl in front of him was still a young one, around Lissa's age, if he had to guess. That only added to the intrigue of why she would do what she'd done. Taking advantage of the chair, he walked around it and sat down, hoping that it would making him look less intimidating, not that he really looked intimidating when only wearing light clothes, boots, and gloves. "What you said last," he spoke in a calm tone, "it's been bothering me…"

"I do not know what you mean…" she said with a shaky voice.

She was either pretending not to remember or hoping he would misremember. If it had been a minor detail he might have doubted himself, but it'd been stuck on his mind all night. "You said you knew me," said the brunette. "That's been bothering me. I would _know_ if I'd seen you before. Blue hair isn't normal in Plegia. I'm good with faces. I can recall people that I pass around for months or even years after I've seen them if they stuck out like a black sheep in a flok."

"And yet, though you don't recognize me, I recognize you." She looked over at him, keeping her eyes fixed on him. He returned the look, inspecting her face like it was a puzzle missing a piece. And then, in her eye, he found what it could be. The words Legault had said; that comment made sense now. The tactician had been too focused on the betrayal that he had failed to notice what was right in front of him.

He nodded, slouching forward on the chair with his hands on his knees. "I see… Tell me, does that have anything to do with your eye?" Marth looked away immediately, but not before Robin was able to see the bafflement in her expression. He knew he'd hit the nail on the head with a reaction like that. That answered one thing… "You have the mark of the Exalt on your left eye. You and I know what that means, yes?" Marth remained quiet. "Only descendants of house Ylisse carry that mark, and not even all of them have it. I know that Chrom's only family are Lissa and Emmeryn… Could it be that that's not the case?"

Robin tried being patient. He was in no rush to get answers. He had all night to wait if need be. However, if he could get her talking, that would be better. He sighed, hating himself for having to ask the next question. "It wouldn't be the first time a king had a child with a mistress," he said. "Are you a bastard?"

The question got the expected reaction from her. She looked indignant at him. "What?! How _dare_ you say such things about my father!"

"Peace, Marth. I don't want the guards to get involved in this." He raised both his hands in front of him to calm down the girl. "But you must understand why I would ask that. You are not Chrom's sister. The last king was a single child and so was his father before him. Still, that eye of yours… Why don't you tell me the story behind it?"

"There is nothing to say about it that you haven't already."

"Are you related to Chrom, Lissa, and Emmeryn?"

She hesitated for a moment, but finally answered, "yes…"

"You are not a bastard child. You are related to Chrom. You got the mark from your father's side of the blood, considering your reaction to my questions… You said you knew me when you were a child..." The dots were connecting in his mind. There was only one way all of those things would be possible, an _insane_ way. Had he heard what he was about to say a few months back, he would have laughed out loud. "You knew about the attempt on the Exalt's life because it had already happened...in your time."

Marth chuckled nervously. "Y-You know how crazy you sound right now?"

"To others I will sound like a lunatic. I'm well aware of it. That is why I haven't spoken about my own experience with...time travel. In my case, I went back in time."

"You… You went back in time too?"

"Yes. A few months ago, though I didn't _know_ I went back in time back then. I did it as part of my training as a black mage. Lyn, Isadora, and Legault? They are all from that time in the past. I don't quite understand how it is that they came to the present, but they did. That's why Legault asked about the Black Fang. To you it is a fairy tale, but to them- no, to _us_ it did happen. Lissa mentioned this legends before too. It is hard to believe, but then again, you must know what that is like too."

"That's… Incredible…"

"Says the girl that comes from the future. Now, tell me, in this future of you come from, you are Chrom's daughter?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Please tell me he didn't name you Marth…" He rubbed his messy hair, cringing at the idea that his friend would consider naming his _daughter_ after the Hero King.

"No," she smiled nostalgically as she looked at the ground. "My real name is Lucina."

He sighed. "Good. Your mother must have named you…" He heard Lucina let out a short giggle. "So tell me, Lucina… Why did you come back here? What were you trying to accomplish?"

"I wanted to save my aunt Emm," she said, looking to the ground. "I tried to hard to keep her out of harm's way. When we were able to repel the attack, I thought that I had accomplished my mission. My future would be prevented! I was so happy… But… After I had left, I was approached by a man… He told me something… Something about you, Robin."

"And it's because of this that you tried to kill me." She nodded weakly. He leaned back on the chair, trying to keep all the details in check. This was the second time a mysterious figure had had a hand on his life. First, someone had made sure Lyn would get to Ferox. And then another had said something that could have cost him his life. Could it be that both of those were one and the same? _But why?_

"In my time, you were revolved around mystery yourself," Lucina said. "You were close to all the Shepherds, especially my father and my aunt Lissa. You treated them all like family, me and my friends—their children—included. You would even teach us about magic, the way of the sword, and even tactics after we grew tired of the stories. We wanted to live them! It's the dream of any children to do so... But as happy as family seemed to make you, you never took a wife of your own. You never had a child.

"Still, I believed you were happy with your life back then. And then… A day came when father took the Shepherds to fight. They all returned… Except you and him. Chrom had been killed in combat. As for you… You vanished… No one said it, but the reason why was clear, even if us children didn't want to admit it... A few days later, Grima appeared. From that day on, the peaceful world I grew up in was gone..."

Robin didn't like what he was hearing. All the blood had left his head. In her timeline, he had killed Chrom… He couldn't fathom what would cause him to do such a thing, especially after hearing that what he was like. Not only that, but the appearance of Grima after his own disappearance? Isadora had mentioned before that what brought her to Ylisse was the rumor of the Black Fang looking for him because of a supposed connection to Grima. Just the thought that it could be true sent chills down his spine. "That's why you tried to kill me…"

"Yes… But in doing so, I put Emmeryn's life at risk again. When we came back here and found out that Emmeryn had been kidnapped, I blamed you for it… I knew that the one responsible for our delay was ultimately me, and yet…"

"And because I taught you my tactics, you would take my place as the tactician for the Shepherds…"

"...Yes…"

Leaning forward, Robin covered his face with his hands, slowly exhaling. This was too much, even for him. There were too many threats to think about. Asking any more questions would only make him even more paranoid than he was already. Taking one last look at Lucina, he stood up and walked towards the door.

Lucina stood up too, but was blocked by the iron bars. She held onto them tightly. "R-Robin?"

The brunette stopped for a second. "I'm afraid if I ask more about your future, my brain won't be able to take it," he admitted. "I hate leaving things like this, but knowing just those few things will keep me up for the rest of the night. I wish the march didn't start tomorrow so that we could talk some more, but I can't selfishly hold everyone back. When we get back _with_ Emmeryn, I will have more questions for you. For now… I have to fix this."

"Y-You won't tell father about this...right? Please…"

"I will keep your secret," he said as he opened the door. "I hope you can keep mine too." Without taking a look back, he closed the door behind him.

The walk back to his room felt ten times longer than he remembered it to be. His head was throbbing, the headache he was feeling on the borderline of becoming a migraine. He'd gone to talk with Lucina in hopes that getting some answers would leave him at ease. Instead, what he got were more questions. Sleep would not come easy. As if that wasn't enough, he still had to sleep knowing full well that Lyn was there with him…

The room was completely dark when he opened the door. He could vaguely see the silhouette of a certain greenette facing away from him on the bed. He closed the door and allowed his eyes a moment to adjust to the low light level. He was glad he'd decided to remove his armor earlier, as taking it off in the darkness would be an ordeal. The gloves and boots he wore came off easy as did the belt he worse. He set it all on the chair—what he thought was a chair—next to his desk before laying down next to Lyn on the bed.

He was taking a deep breath when Lyn rolled over onto him, her head on his chest and one of her legs intertwining with his. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks, thankful for both the darkness and the fact that Lyn was sleep-

"How did it go with Marth?"

"Huh?" He looked down, but all he could see was the top of her head. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"

She shook her head against his chest. "I was still awake when you left," she told him. "I had the feeling you were still troubled after we came back here. I thought about going after you in case you found yourself in trouble again, but decided against it. It I was there, she wouldn't have felt at ease."

"I see…" He felt bad for making her worry about him. He'd been on his own for so long that he'd forgotten that here and now, there were others that were looking out for him. He instinctively ran his fingers through her hair. "I was able to learn a few things… But I regret getting those answers now. As a tactician, I should be celebrating the fact that I now know what to look out for in the future, but then there is this other part of me that keeps nagging me—it tells me that there are things that are inevitable, no matter how hard we try to fight against them…"

"You don't have to face it alone, Mark," she told him, lifting her head up to look at him. Even in the darkness he could tell how serious she was. "I will always be there with you in a time of need. You don't have to ask for my help. Know that when you need me, I'll be there for you, just like you were there for me so many times in the past."

She stroke his cheek with the back of her hand, finally giving the Plegian the much needed comfort he needed. She leaned down, touching his lips with hers. The sweet sensation of the kiss lifted all the mist from his mind, vanishing it for the night. And as they continued to kiss, he wondered what he'd done to deserve such a woman.

* * *

Not only is this chapter dialogue-heavy, but it has so many things in there regarding the plot that if you need to read this to know it, you should probably go back and read again, son.

Who would've expected that the reason had been giving Legault the stink eye since he showed up was because she knew that he'd been following them? If someone would notice it had to be her. The relationship between those two is very complicated, as you can see. I can had some fun with it. You tell me if it pays off.

Obviously they can't just kill Lucina. I know some of you will hate me for not burning the witch, but I think this is very Chrom-like, especially with everything that is going on.

A small thing, but still worth mentioning. I don't like leaving things half done. A few chapters back Robin and Sumia talked for a bit. I brought that back here, though it's not super important. If you are waiting for Miriel, be patient! That's coming...soonish.

Finally, some reveals coming from Lucina. How this will affect Robin and the story, who knows (I know!) There are a lot of important details on that part that. If you've been reading my responses to review, not all of them will come as a surprise. If you haven't, welp...

On to reviews! And woah! So many this time! I'm excited!

 **Whatstoknow** -I think that's stop on. The only way it would have been better was if you said something about picking up pebbles on the road, haha! And thank you very much. I really appreciate it!

 **potatoman098** -That it does. I have to ask, did you see how I avoided answering _why_ the second attempt was so sloppy/stupid? I'm freaking sneaky! If you thought that just from the few chapters he'd shown up with, wonder what you think of him now. The think about Legault that sets him apart from most others is that he is a man on a mission. He is helping the Shepherds only because he can keep a closer eye on Mark/Robin that way. If push comes to shove and he is forced to decide between saving Robin and saving Chrom, he will save Robin 100% of the time. He holds information close to his chest. Even when you might think that you know everything there is to know, he'll pull something new. As you said, Emmeryn being captured shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. _I_ would be surprised if anyone didn't see that one coming. So far this story has been following the chapters of the games really closely. The timing for it might be different, but it had to happen to give a sense of urgency to the Shepherds and get the war in full swing. That curve ball did look like it came out of nowhere, haha. I agree with you. It's understandable that not all characters will get a chance to shine in FE FFs because of the sheer number of them. I've tried hard to give all characters a chance to shine, but when you are juggling that many balls, some have to drop. And I really hope you do keep reading these. I will keep my eye on you... I'm gonna stalk your home, looking in through your window :

 **Sugouxxx** -Correction, Legault has _alway_ _s_ been a badass! Thank you very much *bows* I hope you approve of more Legault on this one.

 **Antiques Thief** -That is something you don't have to worry about in my case. I've always been a no nonsense kinda guy. If people don't like it, I'm okay with that. I would never delete my work because people spam me or whatever. I mean, look at my story _Uncertain Times: Stories Untold_ (plugin my own stories, I know.) There are a few reviews on there that would hit hard for most people. Me? Meh. It's not meant to be a happy story, you know? Still, people complain about the stupidest things, honestly. TL;DR? Don't worry yourself over nothing. If I do anything to a story it'll be correct grammar and maybe add more detail.

 **starlightkitsune2178** -Ah, is that so? Bummer. Don't worry about it, though. There is always that reference Owain made about Eliwood's red hair. People do stupid things, especially when a loved one is involved. It's like the fight-or-flight impulse...in a really weird way. I tried answering this on the chapter, but in case you are still doubtful: no, she's never heard of them nor were they part of her own timeline when her father was alive. This has to do with the version of time travel I'm using. I explained it to someone else on a review response a few chapters back. So that you don't have you look back for it, she and the other future children jumped back in time to a different timeline, meaning her version of Robin isn't the same as the one we see here.

 **animeandgamerlover2** -I'm so glad to hear that! Oh, you don't even have to ask. They are coming... You won't have to wait long to see who's next. Won't spoil it for you, though. As for Florina's reaction if she liked Robin... Interesting... Yes... Very interesting... Ideas are coming to me... Don't know if I'll use them, but they are there - -

 **speedking535** -Glad you liked it! Yup, it's going to make things awkward and difficult, but that depends on how things turn out between then and now too. Robin is the one that will set the tone for those future interactions.

 **Tumberboy12** -God...dammit! I really like that idea... Curse you, Tumberboy! Cuuuuuurse youuuuuu! ...I might change some stuff... Better make up my mind before I get things started on the next chapter.

 **Etherreal780** -HAHAHA! I know exactly what you are trying to say! Been there too many times. Best way I've found to say it: "even better than usual." Glad you liked that. I was going to have that chapter with him and Lyn going to bed to make it a complete cycle, but one thing lead to another... Robin getting better is not also just because. There is a good explanation as to what is going on with him that I've been hinting at for a long time now... No one has guessed it so far and that makes me a little sad. I always liked Chrom x Sully. I also like Chrom x Maribelle, which also got hinted at a few chapters back. I'm on the fence as to which one I'll be going with in the end. With the arc-end fast approaching, I don't have much time to decide. Yeah, Chrom is falling into despair. Understandably so, when his sister's life is on the line. More than putting others at risk, he would put himself on the line of fire if it meant getting Emmeryn back. That doesn't mean that he would just let everyone else die. He's just talking in the heat of the moment. Adding Frederick to that attack scene would have been great. As you said, a missed opportunity. Happy to hear you liked this one! And as for your question... I didn't even know those drama CDs were a thing. I'm not sure if I'll include them mostly because I don't know if I have the time to listen through them. I've only found Japanese ones with subtitles. If there are English spoken ones I'll consider it for sure.

 **Guest (Ch11-Dec1)** -That is correct. That is because the events of Rekka No Ken took place 6+ years ago for Lyn and the others, but for Robin it was only a few months back. When they jumped, they were looking for him as they knew him, which is why they found him as a 22 year old instead of a 28 year old. Also, he was amongst the oldest, but not the very oldest. I think there were a few characters that were in their mid twenties and upwards by the time the game ended.

 **Yugiohfangirl** -First things first, welcome! Glad to have you with us in this _maaaaagical_ journey! The connection he has to Grima is still there. It has only been mentioned once of twice, but he still has the heart of Grima, as evident by the mark on his hand (which he used to explain why Lyn called him Mark.) There is a good reason as to why he has his memories too, but I can't answer that one without spoiling things for the Valm and/or second Plegian war arcs. All I can say is that Grima is a big part of this story still and will make it's appearance in the future. Lyn, Legault, Isadora, and all the characters they've mentioned and the ones that were mentioned on the flashback dream are all from Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken (Fire Emblem 7) or as it is known in North America, Fire Emblem. Hope all that helps!

 **allen Vth** -Hahaha! That chapter hinted a bit as to where she got it from too xP Silly Lucina.

 **Yellowclover** -She didn't get caught intentionally. For the sake of future plot, I won't get too into it. Those two Pegasus Knights will appear a couple of more times, but I don't see them becoming important characters or even getting names. They were characters that came in handy for a plot point, pretty much. I'm trying to stay away from having OCs because of all the characters that are coming (which include an OC child of Lyn and Robin.) I think if I made too many OCs, the people that don't know about Rekka No Ken are going to be overwhelmed.

 **Guest (Ch16-Dec4)** -I'm happy to see so many people liking that!

 **Guest** **(Ch7-Dec8)** -That's something someone else had asked before. I'm not completely convinced yet, but because with how things are turning in my head, they might be appearing (children of FE7 characters only.)


	18. And so they froze

Here is an early (or late for some of you) Christmas present for you all! Hope you guys are enjoying the holidays. This is the first year that I'm not getting together with my family. It's also the first break I get from work, so that's good. The last few days had made it impossible for me to type anything, so when I finally got the chance, I wanted to finish up this monster of a chapter. Got more than half of it done today alone... I don't have anything else to do, haha...ha...

I wanted to get this chapter out much sooner than this, but things just kept happening IRL, including an unfortunate accident involving a candle and my keyboard. In any case, better late than never, right? Things kinda worked out in the end, considering the day and all (this is coming out on Dec 24th.)

I hope you guys like this chapter. Oooh, it's a good one, if I do say so myself. Let me know what you think by leaving a review or a PM if you prefer. Also, if you really like the story, remember to favorite and/or follow it! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 18: And so they froze_

The dunes of Plegian surrounded him as far as the he could see. There was nothing but sand. This was his homeland. The heat did not faze him, even with the added weight and layers of armor. He'd grown used to it, just like all the other Plegians. The heat was taking it's toll on most others, however, as they were accustomed to colder climates, especially the Feroxi. When Robin had spotted a sandstorm heading their way, he'd suggested to Chrom to make camp and wait it out, as marching through one would be a waste of energy.

Chrom had returned to his usual self, though Robin could see that he was still bothered by the position Emmeryn was in. The tactician was glad to see the prince understood that they couldn't risk the entire army's well being for a single person, even if that person was the Exalt. It was oxymoron though, as the reason they were marching towards the capital was to rescue Emmeryn. But if they were to do so and come out victorious, they had to think things through.

Robin was sitting atop one of the many dunes that surrounded their campsite, looking out into the distance. He felt conflicted. He was getting a sense of nostalgia _and_ dread ever since they had crossed the border some days past. He'd tried to sink himself into his work to prevent his mind to think about his personal circumstances too much. Being a Plegian fighting for "the other side" wasn't the only thing he wanted to avoid thinking about. His conversation with Lucina was still fresh in his mind, plaguing him everyday. If what she said was true, Emmeryn's survival could alter future events significantly. And if that were the case, then maybe, just maybe, he would be able to gain full control of his life, like he'd intended to do when he'd first left Plegia with Tharja what felt like a lifetime ago.

Even in the soft sand, footsteps could be heard if one's ears were trained enough. Robin could hear them from behind him, moving towards him, but he was too engulfed in his own thoughts for the steps to register in his mind. It was only when a voice came from behind him that he found out there was someone else with him.

"Is everything okay, Robin?" Chrom asked as he closed the distance between them, standing besides his tactician. Robin jolted at hearing his name called out. He turned to look at his friend, who looked at him with a worried expression and arms crossed, as if he wanted to scold the brunette. "It's not like you to be without Lyn so far away from camp, especially when you seem bothered. You look like there is a lot going through your mind… Make that a lot _more_ than usual."

Robin tried to laugh to comment off, but it came out more like a sigh than a laugh. Trying to make sure that the others didn't see doubt in himself was difficult. It was like wearing a mask all day, which he would only take off in his tent. He'd been careful to move away from the Shepherds whenever he felt like having a moment to himself. And yet, Chrom always seemed to know about it. It made Robin wonder if the bluenette had been speaking with Lyn without his knowledge. Knowing Lyn, she would tell anyone if she was asked directly. Her truthfulness was one of the qualities that he most liked about her, but when it came to personal matters, he wished he could at least try to avoid sensitive subjects. After all, the entire camp had their suspicions confirmed when Flavia had made a comment about her relationship with their tactician during one of their meals and Lyn had acknowledged it. It was meant as teasing… Not that it was bad that the others knew about them.

Sensing that Chrom wasn't satisfied with trying to shrug it off, Robin decided it was best to not leave him waiting for longer than he already had. Of course, if he _could_ switch the direction of the conversation, he would. "I hear I'm not the only one spending my time with a lady friend am I?" Chrom arched an eyebrow. The prince could be so dense. Having to explain it wasn't as much fun. Perhaps saying it plainly would get a reaction. "I've seen you going around with Sully more frequently since we took back Ylisstol. At first I thought nothing of it. It's not rare for two comrades to share their private time. What's not common is for them to-"

"Okay, that's enough of that," said Chrom, cringing, leaving Robin satisfied that he'd been able to get payback for all the times Chrom had teased him about Lyn. "There is nothing between me and Sully… Nothing yet, anyways. But that's besides the point! Even in conversations, you use your strategy. If you are desperate enough to do so, the I know that I was right. Now, what's on your mind, really?"

Robin chuckled for a second—a real chuckle. He'd been caught red handed. Tried as he may, he wasn't as sneaky as others were, like Legault, who'd shown his skill during Lucina's interrogation, and Gaius, who'd somehow avoided the subject of the deal he and Robin had about finding out what was wrong with Lissa every time Robin tried to talk about their terms. Turning back to look at the approaching storm in front of him, he said, "I was just thinking about how I'd left Plegia with my mind set to never return, and yet, here I am again. I've come back as to fight a war for the other side, and as their tactician no less!"

It was Chrom's turn to look conflicted. He looked at Robin seriously and Robin returned the look. The black mage was content to see that there was no pity in Chrom's eyes. No, it was more like a sense of understanding. The both of them then turned to look back at the approaching storm, leaving a comfortable silence between them. Eventually though, Chrom spoke up. "Saying that I know that this must be difficult for you would be lie," he said. "I can never claim that I've been in your position. I don't think many can, except for Tharja." The reality was that Legault had been in that same position, but Chrom did not know about that. "If there was any other way-"

Robin raised a hand to stop Chrom from finishing, shaking his head. "There isn't anything else we can do, Chrom. The Mad King can't be reasoned with. I chose my path the moment I crossed the border with Tharja instead of the sea towards Valm. And you know what? I don't regret a thing. If it wasn't for it, I wouldn't have met a lot of good people. I wouldn't have reunited with old friends. And I wouldn't had had the chance to see Lyn again… No, I have no regrets. I may be fighting against my own people, but I know that I'm fighting for the right cause… Though, I do wish I don't have to run my sword through more of my friends…" Robin felt some comfort after hearing himself say those words. He quickly picked himself up, dusting off the sand that was stuck on his cloak and turning towards the Lord. "But enough of that. Let's head back to camp before more people notice we are gone. I can deal with Lyn, but I'm afraid that Frederick might think I was sending out some secret message to Plegian spies."

"I would laugh if I didn't think Frederick capable of such a thing," Chrom said with a smile, "but I do know him. With how things are now, I think he's become overly cautious. Never has the nickname "Frederick the Wary" been more true."

The pair carefully descended the dune towards cam, Chrom having a harder time than Robin. To his credit, Chrom was able to keep himself from falling, something that not all of the other Shepherds could say they could do. Back in camp, there weren't many soldiers walking around aimlessly like they would in Ylisse and Ferox. Those that could had found refuge under the many tents that had been set up. Though cramped, no one seemed to complain about it. Robin could only mused that they were too happy to find some shade to hide from the sun to bother complaining about being packed like wheat in a sack. The few people that Robin did notice pacing around were Ricken and Miriel, both of whom wore mages hats, and Maribelle, who looked pleased to use her parasol for something other than beating "lowborns". There were those crazy enough to train in full armor even with the heat, like Sully, Lon'qu, and Isadora, but those were special cases, or so Robin liked to think.

In silence they moved towards the war tent. Though neither of them said it, they knew that there was work to be done while they let the troops rest. Already the tactician could see four other figures inside the tent, all standing around the table piled up with the many maps of the region that had been collected from Ylisstol as well as a few that Robin had drawn from memory. Lyn was the first to notice the duo when they entered, smiling at them both, but saying nothing. Frederick came second, bowing at Chrom. The khans were too distracted discussing a task that would determine the effectiveness of the attack on Plegia.

"I'm telling you that you _can't_ , you infuriating woman!" Basilio's voice filled the otherwise silent air as he kept trying to make a point. "You are the reigning khan now! If you wanted to blindly go into every battle, then you should have let me win the tournament! You have to lead the rest of the troops during the final assault."

"Oh, shut it, oaf," said Flavia in frustration, clenching her hand around the hilt of her sword. "It won't take long to get it done. We go in, kill some Plegian guards, get our people, and come out. It's as simple as that. You don't _need_ a big team for it!"

"Gods be good…" Basilio was about to continue when he finally noticed Chrom and Robin standing by the tent's entrance. He moved a hand to his hip, pointing the other at the late comers. "There you two are! It's about time. We need you to settle this once and for all, Robin! This damn plan of your would have me pulling out my hair if I had any! You need to talk some sense into Flavia. Maybe hearing it from you will convince her before she makes a mistake."

"I'm sorry," Robin said, feeling guilty for having them wait for him. Had he known that the two khans would be discussing his plan, he would've gone to the tent right away instead of wasting time on his own. But seeing Lyn there, he wondered why she hadn't gone looking for him before. The problem could have been solved before it escalated the way it had. Though, truth be told, Robin knew that the khans would find something else to disagree on sooner or later. "I… I had some things on my mind that I had to clear up. I was taking a break of sorts…"

"You don't need to apologize for that, Robin," said Flavia, giving him an oddly sympathetic smile. "We could all use some time to unwind. You've more than earned yourself your fair share of rest, given how much you've taken upon yourself to do for this army. This oaf could use some time to rest too. Maybe I'll _force_ him to do so with my sword."

"Don't listen to her, Robin. She is trying to manipulate you," said Basilio, shooting a stink eye at the other khan. "Not that she is lying about the whole rest thing, but that's besides the point. You came up with this crazy plan to rescue the Pegasus Knights, no? I need you to convince her to stay with the army instead of infiltrating the Plegian castle. If she won't listen to me, then she will have to listen to you."

"I thought we went through this before, though…" Ever since he'd first come up with the idea of rescuing Phila and the other Pegasus Knights, the plan had seen many changes, mainly because of disagreements on how the mission was to be handled. It had already been three days since they last spoke of it, which lead Robin to believe everything had been settled. He was wrong. He pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting off his own frustration. "What is the problem this time?"

"I understand what you want to do, Robin. Don't misunderstand. The problem is that we do not have any flyers in the infiltration squad," said Flavia. Unfortunately, no wyvern or pegasus riders had come with them on the march from Ferox, leaving them with very few people that could take up that role with the Pegasus Knights being captured by Plegian forces. "Long story short, if we can't get there through the air, we have to break through the main door. For that we need the strongest of our own. Meaning me."

"I can see why Basilio isn't agreeing to this… An infiltration mission is meant to go unnoticed," Chrom pointed out. "We can't have you go in and alert the guards. Our main forces is meant to be the distraction, going directly for Emmeryn. You need to lead your men, Flavia. We can figure out how to go about this in another way. We can't abandon our own. This has to be done, but it has to be done in a way that follows Robin's original plan. Perhaps we could spare Cordelia and Sumia for this mission? What do you think, Robin?"

"That won't do. I would like to, but that will put as at risk, as we would be losing our own aerial support should we encounter combat from here to the capital," said Robin. Thus far luck had been on their side. They hadn't encountered anything other than bandits and risen, which had been dealt with swiftly. They had even gained one more to their ranks—Anna—though not the same one that had sold Robin his armor, according to the trickster. Surprisingly, the border had been left undefended. Even with Robin's careful calculations, he'd expected to cross swords a couple of times at least with Gangrel's army, but they were nowhere to be found. This left the tactician with the worry of a possible trap set by the Mad King. If that was the case, he knew that they would need both Cordelia and Sumia to help deal with the situation. "With all this sand around, only flyers, mages, and those wearing light or no armor will find it easy to move around… And considering we have Chrom, Lissa, _and_ the Fire Emblem to protect, I would rather be prepared for anything that comes our way."

"What you are saying is that we need more Pegasus Knights to rescue the Pegasus Knights?" Basilio didn't looked too pleased with Robin's assessment. "Who would've seen that one coming? Where does that leave us then? Unless we can pull more units out of our arses, we can't get everything done."

The tent went silent, everyone there thinking about other possible solutions to their stalemate. Robin thought about the Pegasus Sisters, Florina, Fiora, and Farina. He wished that the three of them could show up then. That was too convenient, though. It would be more suspicious if something like that would happen, especially considering that the three sisters lived in different parts of Elibe, last he heard. But as he thought of fantastical possibilities, Frederick suggested a very real one. "What of the pair of Pegasus Knights that were left left behind in the dungeon in Ylisstol? Both of them volunteered to come with us this far…"

Of course! Robin had completely forgotten about those two! The two knights had been badly injured during their attempt of stopping the Plegians, but they'd been treated constantly by healers during the march and were looking much better. Whether they were ready for combat, especially such an important battle, was another thing entirely. Robin was confident in the abilities of the Pegasus Knights from what he'd seen in the past, but after suffering a big defeat and almost their lives, he had to ask himself if they would be ready.

"They were badly injured during the battle in Ylisstol," said Lyn, "but they've recovered well enough during the past few days. I've seen them training with the other troops when we make camp. They truly are an great example of what Ylisse has to offer. I've approached them a few times as well to check up on them. From what they told me, they sound eager to get Captain Phila and the Exalt back. I believe they are as ready for combat as they will ever be."

Robin felt odd when all heads turned to look at him after Lyn was finished. It was as if they were looking for his approval of the idea. Even Chrom was doing it. The prince wasn't going easy on him, clearly. Even a decision that small could determine whether or not they would be able to get Emmeryn back safely. Robin wasn't against the idea, but he wouldn't assume anything. "If they can fight, I see no reason for them _not_ to go," he agreed. "However, we can't decide something like this for them. The mission is risky as it is—suicidal even. We should ask them what they think. If they volunteer, then I suppose there is no reason to refuse them."

They all headed out together in search for the Pegasus Knights, searching through the camp. Eventually they found them training together along a few others. Like Lyn had said, the two seemed to be doing much better, striking each other with practice their lance's full force. When they noticed the group watching them, they stopped mid combat and lowered their weapons. Amidst heavy breaths, they walked towards them to see what they could do. Chrom had to do a run down of the plan, explaining how the two of them were needed and so on. Without any hesitation whatsoever, the two immediately took the opportunity to offer their help, saying that they would do everything in their power to rescue their lance-sisters.

With Basilio being in charge of the operation, he and Flavia took the two girls to feet up with the rest of the infiltration squad, leaving behind Chrom, Frederick, Lyn, and Robin. Chrom too had to leave, as he had to check on some of the equipment and talk with Raimi about the formations they would be using to assault the Plegian capital. Frederick followed suit, as he would normally do, which only left Lyn and the brunette by themselves.

"How about we got for a walk?" Robin suggested. Having been working himself from morning until night time, he hadn't had a chance to spend as much time with Lyn as he would have otherwise liked. Well, they did spend the time together, but not interacting with each other. It was more like she would be around while he worked or trained. Neither of them could complain about it as they knew that the war was where their focus should be. Though the sandstorm was bad for their campaign, Robin was glad to use this newly found spare time to spend with her. He wasn't alone in that thought either. Lyn smiled at him, looking pleased with the suggestion. She nodded, and the two started to walk towards the edge of the campsite in order to get some privacy—as much as they could get without going inside a tent, but the beating from a certain parasol-wielding noble made him want to avoid doing that unless he had to sleep.

They walked in a comfortable silence, not needing to say anything to know that they both were glad to share a moment, as insignificant as it could seem to anyone else. He would glance over at her from time to time when she was looking away. If it wasn't for the height difference and her more mature face, she would have looked identical to the teenage girl he travelled with back in Elibe. Because of the heat, she had opted on leaving the little armor she wore and her coat off. Robin had to stop himself from letting his mind going places that it shouldn't. Thankfully, he noticed that Lyn had been looking around for quite some time, taking in their surroundings. Whether she was doing it out of instinct or not made Robin curious. "You don't have to worry about an ambush," he said. "I checked the surroundings and saw no one but us. And with the storm coming our way, I doubt anyone would be dumb enough to engage us in combat."

Lyn turned to look at him, not looking serious nor surprised. "I wasn't looking out for enemies… I did that earlier," she said with a small smile. "I was lost in thought… It's just… When we talked about Plegia in the past, I wasn't expecting something quite like this. I mean no offense! I just never pictured you coming from a desert, considering your features. Though it does explain why you never complained when we traveled through deserts back in Elibe…"

"It's nothing like the plains, you mean, don't you?" Robin laughed inwardly. The only way the two could have come from more different places would be if she came from a nation covered in snow, like Ferox. The Sacaen plains had always fascinated Robin, with it's luscious grasslands like nothing that could be found in present day Plegia. "Before the age of the Hero King, and before Plegia was formed, this land used to be covered in grass as well. But when Grima appeared, it ravished the land, creating this wasteland. It is ironic that after doing such a thing, people would form a cult to Grima—the Grimleal—and settle down here. Even the capital was built a top of the skeletal remains of the Fell Dragon.

"There aren't many forest to speak of now, but the nation isn't entirely a desert. You can find more vegetation if you travel towards the coast, both to the east and to the south. The town I grew up in was to the south. We had fields that stretched far and wide back then. It was a lovely sight. You should have seen them. I think you would have liked it better there than here."

"You seem happy whenever you talk about your home." Indeed. Robin had been unknowingly smiling when explaining what it was like where he grew up. The memory of it felt fresh on his mind, something Lyn took notice of. "Would it be possible to visit..? Perhaps after the war has come to pass?"

His smile disappeared as quick as it had appeared and he looked away for a moment. Lyn seemed to have caught on to what she'd said, but before she could say anything, he shook his head and spoke sadly. "No… There is nothing there for me to return to. The whole town and our fields were set ablaze during the crusades that Chrom's father fought across Plegia. Nothing stands there except for the remains of a few stone homes and a small windmill. Not that it matters. Even if there was something to visit, it will be impossible for me to do so… If I stayed here more than I had to, I would put you and myself at risk. Whether we win or lose this war—whether I live or die—I'll be seen as a traitor. Given the chance, someone _will_ try to take my life because of it… I may never come back here after this."

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to bring up painful memories…" The two had come to a stop, Lyn looking at the floor decidedly, and Robin trying to think of what he could do to take her mind off of it. Overthinking matters would get them nowhere. Some things couldn't be fixed. He quickly grabbed her right hand, caressing it softly with his thumb. She didn't fight him, instead intertwining his fingers with hers. Neither of them was much for public displays of affection, so the fact that neither of them backed away was an indication that they both needed it. As if struck with an idea, she glanced up at him. "What if… What if we returned to Sacae together? We could create our own home there after this is over. Just… Start anew."

Robin flushed furiously. Her words had left him speechless. The thought of marriage and beginning a family with the greenette had crossed his mind briefly many times, but he'd been too busy dealing with the war to give it any more serious consideration. But he'd never considered returning to Elibe before. He had to ask himself if that was even possible in the first place. For all the talk about how her, Isadora, and Legault had come over to find him, none of them had mentioned a way of getting back. Just as he was getting his thoughts together to give her a serious answer, a cough to their side caught their attention.

"My apologies for interrupting," said Frederick as he stood with his hands behind his back. The man's timing was impeccable. Robin was glad they hadn't spoken more about Elibe. Who knew exactly how long the knight had been standing there, let alone heard as he was approaching. "I have dire news. The scouts that we sent ahead came back with a report of a group of men coming our way. The Shepherds will advance to assess the situation. Lord Chrom has asked for the two of you to join the battle, should it come to that. Let us meat with the rest of the group."

Robin and Lyn followed after Frederick, who directed them to the middle of camp. There the others were inspecting their weapons and armor to make sure they were ready for combat. This wouldn't be the first time they would fight in sand, but Robin could see that some were having a harder time getting accustomed to the environment than others. At the very center of the group, Chom was talking to a man that Robin presumed to be the scout that had informed of the approaching threat. The prince dismissed the man when he noticed them coming his way.

"I had high hopes that we would be able to reach the capital without entering battle, but it seems the gods do not intent it to be so," said Chrom. "From what the scouts tell me, there is a group of around thirty men fast approaching this direction, mostly composed of black mages going by their attire. If we go in with these numbers, we can deal with them easily if they turn out to be hostiles."

"Wait a moment, Chrom. Have you forgotten about the sandstorm?" Robin quickly reminded the prince. Taking all the Shepherds to what could be nothing didn't seem to be the best idea. The sand on itself wasn't harmful, but it could uncover and form dangers that would be difficult to outright impossible to spot if one didn't know what they were looking for. Taking all the Shepherds wouldn't do. "We can't risk taking everyone when we still have to think about rescuing Emmeryn. Some were already having trouble keeping up on the sand. Add to that the sandstorm and they will become a hindrance. We need to leave behind some Shepherds."

"I'm not pleased with the idea...but I see that you have a point. Very well. Who do you propose we leave behind then?"

"The first that come to mind are all our riders except for Sumia and Cordelia. Straining the horses for combat with all these dunes will push them over their limit. We could lose them. And if they panic once the storm hits, they could run over friendlies. That means Frederick, Sully, Stahl, Isadora, and Maribelle should stay behind. You can add Kellam to that list. With that armor of his, he will barely be able to move. Then we also need to think about having some mages and light-armored units stay behind to act as backup should we need to switch someone out mid-combat."

"Miriel, Tharja, Donnel, and Gaius can stay behind too then," Chrom said, though he didn't look entirely pleased. They would be going in with almost half of their numbers, and they would be outnumbered two-to-one. "We should pair up Lissa with either Sumia or Cordelia. I can't have both of my sisters be taken by the enemy. Should things take a turn for the worse, I want her to be taken out of there as soon as possible. I'll leave the camp's defense to you, Frederick. As for the rest of us, let's move out."

Robin was glad they got going before Sully got wind of the plan. While Frederick wasn't too pleased with it, he would remain composed, maybe argue against it, but would ultimately follow his orders. Sully, on the other hand, would have a more...violent reaction. Considering this was the second time Robin had considered having her stay behind, he was sure that if she found out right there, she would give him a piece of her mind...with her _fists_.

Chrom lead the remaining Shepherds towards the direction the scout had pointed out. He was being accompanied by Robin, Lyn, Virion, Vaike, Lissa, Sumia, Cordelia, Lon'qu, Ricken, Panne, Legault, and the newest addition to their ranks, Anna, who Robin wanted to see fight with them to judge her abilities more effectively. They moved slowly through the desert, some struggling more than others, as they closed the distance between themselves and the approaching force, the storm practically on top of them already.

"Have we… Have we lost them?" The tired voice of a girl could be heard. Her breathing was heavy, from what Robin could make out. He looked around to see where it was coming from, but already sand was making it difficult to see too far. He signaled the others to stop while he casted Eagle-Eye, hoping that a top-down view would let him locate whoever was talking, but it was useless. He could see the blobs that were he and the Shepherds as well as the Plegian group, but distinguishing further wasn't possible. There was too much interference. "How much longer do we have to run for?" Whined the same voice.

"Panne, would it be possible for you to tell me from which direction that voice is coming from?" Robin turned to look at the taguel. They'd already known about her ability to listen from great distances. If he couldn't make out the details he wanted, then he could use her hearing to narrow down the possible location of the girl. "It sounds like whoever is coming here is chasing after this girl." The taguel nodded, raising her ears up along with her braided hair. The rest of them remained as silent as they could to allow her a better chance of hearing something.

"Wee one needs to do the remembering of keeping down with the voice," came a masculine, heavily accented voice. "We not wanting to give away position to the baddies, yes?"

 _They are being chased after all,_ thought the tactician. If it were true, then they would have to do something about it. He already knew that wouldn't stand for something like that, as he'd proven when they had helped Anna get out of her own predicament against a band of bandits a few days prior.

The second voice was enough for Panne to come up with a direction. Instead of telling Robin, however, she transformed into her bunny form and dashed away. The brunette could barely hear her say, "they are this way. Quick, we must hurry! Follow me," before the rest of the group went after her. They all readied their weapons. If they were going head first to what would most likely turn out to be a dangerous situation, they wanted to be prepared for it.

"My throat is dry, my shoes, hair, _and_ nose are full of this _stupid_ sand! And then those weirdos are chasing after us too!" Robin felt sorry for the girl. From all her complains, he took it that she wasn't used to the Plegian desert. Perhaps she was an Ylissean that had lost her way because of the war, or an escaped prisoner from Gangrel's army.

"Drink this, miss. It is important to keep oneself hydrated when in conditions such as this." The third voice was of a man as well. It was nothing like the first one. It didn't hold any sort of accent, but it also felt out of place… It was strangely familiar, but Robin couldn't connect the voice to a face in-

"Thank you, Canas! I really needed that!"

 _Huh?_ Robin quickened his pace, easily outrunning most of the others. Ricken, Sumia, and Cordelia were the only ones that kept up without a problem. None of them asked the tactician what had caused his sudden burst in speed, they just followed him up one more dune. When they reached the top to join Panne, Robin, breathless as he was, froze. There were three people in front of him. One was the girl they'd been hearing—a short girl with thigh-high boots, green hair, dark purple cape, and...well, clothing too revealing for someone her age, if Robin was asked.

To her side, with his arms crossed, stood a tall man with short, dark-orange hair dressed in plain clothes except for some armor on his legs and a shield strapped to his bicep. He carried a sword with him, which combined with the fact that he looked out of place, probably meant he was some sort of mercenary. He looked much older than what Robin was used to seeing on the battlefield, if he had to guess.

But the most interesting of the three was the second man, who was standing in front of the girl. He wore a dark-blue cloak, a violet cape, and a cowl (not part of the cape nor the cape) that covered his head and shoulders. Robin could spy a monocle and purple hair from under the cowl. The man carried a staff on his left hand and a tome on his right. _There is no doubt about it, he practically wore the same outfit back then too_.

"Canas!" Robin called out as he made his way down to them. The group below looked up at him and the others behind him.

"Blimey!" Canas looked up in surprise. "Lord Mark! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" The druid made his way towards his old acquaintance with his typical soft smile once the latter reached the bottom of the dune. "I was certain we would never meet up again after you disappeared all those years ago. And to meet here of all places! This is a fascinating coincidence- Wait, Lord Mark! You look not a year older than when we last spoke! Do not tell me you've delved into Nergal's morphs?"

" _Lord_ Mark?" Ricken repeated as he looked between the brunette and the stranger that said those words.

"Nergal's morphs?" Sumia repeated, all the more interested at that second bit of information. Of course, if there was someone else besides Lissa that would know about such a thing, it would be the klutzy Pegasus Knight. Robin already knew that she was an avid reader, and, should Lissa be believed, there were many books that made mentions of the events that took place in Elibe, though she never went into detail as to what exactly was mentioned or not. Robin berated himself mentally at not being to stop Canas before going too far.

"You know this man, Robin?" Chrom asked as the others started to catch up.

"Robin?" It was Canas' turn to repeat something, it seemed. It was rare to see the scholar being confused for once. Though, Robin did wish it was for something other than himself. "Have you changed your name, Lord Mark?"

Robin sighed in defeat, rubbing his temple. Things had taken a turn for the bizarre, and though he was glad that he'd met up with Canas, he also wished that it was under different circumstances. He turned to look at Canas. "Robin's always been my name," he said, to which Canas responded by nodding, but from his confused face, it was obvious he didn't understand.

"Is that you, Canas?" Lyn asked as he walked over to take a closer look. "What are you doing here? Were you too looking for Mark?"

"Oh! Lady Lyndis! Goodness! In the flesh? What an interesting turn of events! And is that Legault I spy back there? This has turned into a reunion!" The druid's face turned back to his normal smile as he looked at yet another of his old comrades. "Actually, as to why I'm here, it is a long story. It all started back in-"

"I would be happy to hear all about it, but this doesn't seem to be the best place _or_ time for it. I believe you have people chasing after you, correct?" Robin quickly interrupted, though he too was curious as to what would bring the scholar to Ylisse. "We need to stop the pursuers before they spot our camp. Else they could turn tail and give word to the Mad King."

"Certainly, Lord Robin."

"Just Mark is fine."

"Right... Mark. A group calling themselves Grimleal are chasing after us. I believe they want to take miss Nowi for some type of ritualistic procedure. If you are to fight, then we will fight with you."

"I'm not sure having a small damsel in the field would be a good idea…" Chrom crossed his arms as he looked over at Nowi, who pouted and furrowed his brow.

"I'll have you know that I can fight too, thank you very much! I have this!" Nowi took out a small, semi transparent stone from a pouch and showed it proudly to the prince, who looked at it in silence. Tired of waiting for a response, she sighed and explained, "it's a dragonstone. You know? The ones manaketes use to transform...? I am a manakete!"

"A manakete? I supposed that explains why the Grimleal are after you. ...If you think you can fight, I won't stop you. We can always use another fighter on our side. You should make sure to stay close to us, though. If you need help, any one of us will be there to aid you." Chrom turned to look at the other two men. "What about you two?"

"Canas pay Gregor to fight, so Gregor fights," said the older man. "Gregor be very reliable mercenary! Be doing good with the sword. If you help employer, Gregor will be sure not to kill you. Gregor need steady income."

"He may not look it, but Gregor is an extraordinaire mercenary," said Canas. "As for myself, I am a druid. I use ancient magic, or dark magic as it is more commonly known, as my weapon," he presented a thick tome with a green cover of elaborate design as proof of his word, "and should we need another healer, I can fill that role too."

"Wow! A real druid! I'd only read about them on really old books," said Sumia, looking at Canas with excitement. It was something Robin hadn't considered. Sorcerers were as close to druids as they had in Plegia when thinking of abilities. "I didn't know people were still going by that title."

"Enough of this, we must hurry," Robin reminded them. It seemed that they kept forgetting the enemies coming their way. Robin needed to switch the focus of the conversation if he wanted to keep himself sane for battle. He put his hand on top of Nowi head and got to work. "I need to cast a hex on the three of you before we go into combat. It'll allow for us to communicate telepathically. It helps when giving out orders and warnings." He repeated the process with Canas and Gregor.

"What's the plan, Robin?" Chrom asked.

"The sandstorm will hit us at full force by the time we go into combat. It will make it difficult for me to keep track of everyone individually if we spread out. We also have to keep in mind that the enemy is more used to fighting in this terrain." The tactician crouched down on the sand and, using his sword, made some lines and dots on the sand. With his body covering the incoming wind, they would stay there for as long as he didn't move too much. "We will have to split up into three big groups. To have our forces even, we will go as follows: Lissa, Cordelia, Panne, Lon'qu, and Ricken." He made a dot for each name he called and then made a line for their movement. "I want you guys to take the center. From what I could see earlier, the Grimleal are split off in two. We need to make sure that they don't bunch up or we will be in trouble. Your main goal is to prevent that from happening. Being in the middle of the battlefield will let Cordelia take Lissa to wherever she is needed, though everyone else should rely on vulneraries and call for her only if you've run out.

"Canas, Nowi, Gregor, Legault, Vaike, and Sumia, you guys will attack from the west." He repeated the process of putting everything down on the sand. "Our camp is in that direction. You guys need to make sure it isn't spotted, and if it is, do _not_ let them run away under any circumstances. Expect the brunt of the enemy force to come your way.

"As for the rest of us, meaning Chrom, Anna, Virion, Lyn, and myself, we will head to the east. Their commander or high priest, whatever you want to call it, will be at the back, especially with the low visibility right now. He'll want to use his followers as meat shields. If we can take him out, we can take full control over the battlefield, making our victory guaranteed.

"And one last thing. Grimleal are formed mostly of dark mages. Expect a lot of spells coming your way. They will also have a few sword and axe wielders, but no archers. Closing the distance between yourselves and the enemy will be crucial for your survival. Work together and Plan ahead before engaging the enemy."

With the orders given and everyone knowing their roles, the group split off into their respective teams. Being the only mage on their team but also knowing the most of combat in Plegia, Robin took the lead, carefully navigating the landscape through areas that would be easier on those following him. The storm was now at full force. Robin had tried to lift up his cowl to protect himself from the sand, but it yielded no results as the wind easily snapped the cowl back down. He had to keep his eyes half closed to protect them from the harmful sand, which made it even more difficult to see where he was going. There were many hexes that could aid in that situation, but alas, Robin didn't know of any that required no ingredients. _If I had known we would be going to a fight like this, I would have prepared something beforehand…_

Robin raised his hand to have everyone stop when he spotted the first Grimleal walking their way. It looked like a dark mage and, thankfully, they hadn't been noticed yet. It would have been easy to go in and take the enemy out, but Robin knew better than that. Taking another look, he could see the figures of another five- no, six enemies walking not too far behind the first. _Bait?_ The tactician wondered the possibilities. Taking a look with Eagle-Eye again, he could see that there were at least another five that were coming behind the first group. _They really wanted to get their hands on a manakete that badly…_

"Here's what we will do," he said, already knowing that not everyone would be happy with his plan. "Anna, I need you to take Virion north from here. The extra height will give him an advantage to shoot down from. It will also make it difficult for the enemy to spot you two immediately. Just in case it _does_ happen, you'll need to defend him as best you can. Virion, start shooting them at my signal. Meanwhile, I want Chrom and Lyn to stay here and wait for the enemies to get closer. They have the advantage of range, meaning that unless we can get them in close, we won't stand a chance."

"This sounds like a sound plan," said Viroin, flipping his hair. "Being paired with our new beauty does suit me best. But, my good man, what of you? You are not planning on charging straight forward, are you?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Robin deadpanned.

Like he had predicted, Lyn was the first to object. "Mark?! Have you forgotten what happened the last time you attempted something like that?! You can't do that on your own. If you were to get injured, none of us will be fast enough to reach you in time. If you plan on doing something so _irresponsible_ then I will go with you to make sure you come back uninjured."

"Putting your life at unnecessary risk isn't something I approve of," Chrom agreed with the severity of a true leader. "You aren't just another sword and tome to our ranks, Robin. You are our tactician. Without you, who know if we will be able to get Emmeryn back."

"Peace, you two. Was there another way to do this I would take it," Robin defended. "From the five of us, I'm the only one that can move around with ease. They are trying to bait us by having someone move ahead of their group. So, we will turn the tables on them. I would have dealt with that one before the next five men reach me. All I have to do then is run back this way. That's when I'll give the signal to Virion to attack. They will be too busy avoiding arrows and chasing after me to notice that they are being lured into a trap."

Everyone knew the risk Robin was putting himself in. His plan was good, they would admit to it, but it also relied too heavily on everything going _exactly_ right. A single thing going wrong could leave the tactician stuck in a bed for days, if not cost him his life. They had already lived through that once. There was no way they would go through it again, and Robin was counting on that too.

Robin had forced their hand to go with the plan in the end. He left Lyn and Chrom on the spot, making his way towards the enemy, whose figure was becoming sharper by the second. Truth be told, he was nervous. He hadn't said anything about it when Lyn mentioned it, but he _did_ remember what she was talking about. How could he forget?

Back in Elibe, they had encountered a large group of Nergal's men while traveling to Bern. The League had been fighting nonstop for days, many of their comrades badly injured. So when they came across another threat, Mark had proposed a similar plan to the one he had now. He would act as decoy and thin out the enemy ranks enough for an even fight. Back then, not caring about his own mortality, he'd gone ahead with the plan despite Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn being strongly against it. In the end, it all worked out… After the tactician had suffered a terrible beating from the Fang. Had Kent and Florina not come to his rescue, gods only knew what would have happened to him… While he was glad to be saved and for them to be victorious, when they regrouped with the rest, Lyn made sure to let him know just how stupid he had been.

Robin shook the memory out of his head. Things were different now. They were outnumbered only two-to-one. More importantly, while back then he only took the role of the strategist, staying behind with Merlinus, now he was fighting too… And his relationship with Lyn was different. He had been scared of her reaction back then, he could only imagine what she would do if things repeated themselves.

" _We are in position, handsome_ ," said Anna with her ever so cheerful voice. From all the group, she was the one that grew accustomed to their method of communication the fastest. Robin was happy about it, except that she would use it to try and convincing of buying a new sword from her during combat. " _Waiting for your signal_."

Robin nodded. It was to get himself on the right set of mind more than to acknowledge Anna's words, since it was impossible for her to see him. Picking up his pace, he closed the distance between him and the enemy. The figure came into clear view. Like he'd said before, it was a dark mage wearing the typical attire for a Grimleal, the wyvern skull hat and all. It was then that the man finally took notice of Robin and, seeing as the tactician was approaching, he too walked towards the other.

"You there," the man called out as he kept walking. "Have you seen a manakete around here? We've been assigned to take her back to the capital."

"I have not," Robin replied simply. "What do you need her for, if I may ask?"

"Are you stupid or something? What kinda question is that? Everyone knows that manaketes make great sacrifices for the Fell Dragon. Their dragon blood will do good in bringing back Grima to this world once again. You look like a Plegian to me. You should know this much, you ignorant fool." The man came to a stop a few feet in front of Robin, looking at him curiously. "You seem familiar…" Robin gripped the hilt of his sword and his tome, ready to attack.

The was ready to point something out when Robin launched his attack. He unsheathed the sword and slashed diagonally at the man, who was able to jump back in time with just a minor scrape on his chest, letting out a cry in pain that would alert the rest of the Grimleal in the area. Knowing that time was running out, Robin went for a second strike, this time thrusting his sword at the dark mage's chest. The sword pierced through the man's chest, making him fall the the floor when Robin pulled the sword out. The man let out another cry of pain on the floor. There wasn't any life left in him after that. Some other figures came into view soon after. It was time for phase two. He allowed them to catch a glimpse of him before he started running back towards where Lyn and Chrom were waiting. The men were screaming at him to stop. When one of them launched a flux spell towards the brunette, he knew that he would be in trouble.

" _It's now or never, Virion_." Not a moment too soon an arrow came flying in his direction. Even with the sound of wind, the whistling of the arrow going past him was noticeable. The tactician didn't have time to look back and check if it had hit its target. For all of Virion's claims, getting a kill with a bow and arrow during a sandstorm was a near impossible feat. None the less, Robin could hear arrow after arrow being shot at the enemies.

" _I'm almost there. Get ready._ " He stopped when he was in position, both swordsmen crouched to each of his sides. The enemy dark mages kept casting spells towards him, not noticing the others. Robin did the only thing he could to defend himself. They weren't as common because of their limitations, but defensive spells did exist in the dark mage's arsenal. Using a mutation of the Flux spell, he created a shadow wall in front of himself as a means of defense. The spell was only good against magical attacks, absorbing the blows almost entirely. If someone were to run it through with steel, it would be as easy as cutting butter with a hot knife. " _Wait for them to get closer._ "

The wall wasn't invincible. With each hit, Robin was forced to take a step back. He had to also lean out of cover to see how close the enemies were. He could see Lyn looking towards him with a worried expression every time he got hit. He would smile at her cockily in an attempt to show that he was fine, but failed to make her crack even the smallest smile. " _I'm fine,_ " he told her. " _Don't look so worried._ "

Looking out at the enemy again, they were in as good of a position as any. He gave the signal and dropped the magic shield. Chrom and Lyn came out of cover, swords in hand, and headed to the nearest target. The enemies had been too focused on dodging arrows and attacking Robin to take notice of them. Just like that, the first group was down to three members. _Virion must have gotten one of them_ , Robin thought as he grinned, feeling more confident that things were working out.

What the lords hadn't noticed was that two of the remaining dark mages were already casting spells. Robin could tell that both would get hit. His mind blank, the tactician moved from instinct. He alerted Chrom about the incoming attack as he moved towards Lyn, allowing the prince to dodge it. The greenette had to be shoved away. The armor did little to protect against the magical attack. Robin's grip on his sword loosen as he fell over backwards onto the ground. Lyn looked at him and then at the enemy that had shot the attack. " _Get him before the second group gets here!_ "

When the three had been dealt with, Lyn ran back to Robin, who was having trouble finding his sword, but had stood back up already. " _Are you okay?_ " She asked him as she examined him for any injuries. " _What were you thinking? I could have dodged the attack if you had warned me!"_

He shook his head. " _That's not a risk I am willing to take,_ " he admitted. " _You are the best person in this army with a sword, even when you are not fighting at full strength. We will need you for the coming battle… Besides, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you got injured because of me…"_

Thier moment was interrupted when Anna reach out to him. " _We need help here! The second group of five came directly for Bowstring and I! They are hitting hard. You better hurry up."_

Robin's eyes widened. That explained why none of the first group went looking for Virion. They would need to hurry. Robin called out to Chrom and informed him of the situation. The ran towards the last known position of Virion and Anna. Something told Robin that they would be needing more man power. He quickly reached out to Cordelia and Lissa. " _Cordelia! Get Lissa to our position. Have Lon'qu and Panne help the others. Bring Ricken with you. We might need a second caster on this side._ "

" _Understood, Robin,_ " said Cordelia. " _We are on our way._ "

Robin ordered Lyn and Chrom to head directly for Anna and Virion, saying that he would try to go around and locate the enemy leader. Neither of them questioned him this time, but he could see the dissatisfaction in both their faces. Ignoring it, he left the two, hoping that Cordelia would be able to find them easier in a bigger group.

Minutes passed with no sign of the Grimleal leader. Robin kept running around, but all the Grimleal looked the same to him. That is until he stumbled upon one that was dressed differently. His garbs were of similar color, but they were embroidered with gold thread to create detail symbols all over his cloak. The older man also wore a different headdress, this one looking more like an iron helmet with the emblem for a Grimleal priest on the front.

"Well, well, well," said the man who likewise had spotted Robin. "What do we have here? If it isn't the Vessel himself! What luck!"

Robin furrowed his brow and held on tightly to his tome. This was the first time someone had referred to him as a Vessel. On the back of his mind, Lucina's words repeated. "Give up, fiend," Robin said as he readied his tome, "you have nowhere to run. You have been defeated!"

The older man crackled, looking at the brunnette in amusement. "Ha! You know nothing, boy! Do you know who I am? I'm Chalard, loyal member of the Grimleal as well as priest of Grima! You have some nerve to speak to me that way! Were you not necessary, I would have you killed right here!"

"Necessary?"

"Oh? Don't tell me you didn't know?" Chalard laughed maniacally. "Now I understand why Validar wanted to get you back so badly! If I capture you and take you to him, I will be rewarded handsomely."

The name sent a chill down Robin's spine. _Validar_. That was the man responsible for the misery he had suffered for the last few years of his life. But, why was that monster looking for him? Robin would have asked, but he felt that the less he knew, the better. There were too many things for him to thinking about already. Adding another burden would only distract him. He opened up his tome. "If you are really with Validar," the pages began to flutter around, "then I can't allow you to go back and inform him of seeing me."

With a flick of his wrist, Robin started casting his first spell. Golden rings and runes surrounded him as he concentrated on the verses. When he was ready, he moved his tome forward to direct the spell. When he had used Waste in Ylisstol, it had been effective in bringing down enemies in one go. He was hoping for a similar result this time. The dark mist was difficult to spot against the sand, which would work to his advantage. But even so, Chalard was able to avoid the attack during the last few seconds. The old man countered with a Nosferatu. Robin could feel his energy draining out, gritting his teeth until the moment was over.

The brunette moved the mages of his tome, landing on a different spell. If Waste was no good, then something with a higher chance of hitting would have to do. He settled on Ruin, which was one of the strongest spells he could use. Vaulting forward to avoid another Nosferatu, he casted his counterattack. Chalard tried to avoid it again, but the golden rings were already surrounding him. The dark cross hit the mark, but Chalard still stood.

"Not bad," said Chalard through heavy breaths. "But you will need more than that if you want to defeat me!" The two kept exchanging spells, some hitting, some missing. As far as magical duels went, this was among the hardest ones Robin had ever fought, which was saying a lot. He'd never struggled much against other dark mages except for his old masters, which included Validar. At the rate they were going, Robin knew that he would be running out of steam first if he didn't end things quick. He could see a figure running towards Chalard from behind. Robin took that as a sign. He would only need to do one thing to win, and it was to cast the weakest offensive spell he had. "Ha! Flux? You think you can beat me with that? I will show you how it's done."

He had intended to cast Flux. But when he felt a sudden, throbbing pain in his head, he flinched, cancelling the casting. He couldn't avoid the incoming attack either, Chalard's own Flux, which dropped Robin to the floor. The pain only intensified with this, Robin gritting his teeth and massaging his temples to work through the pain.

He could feel it coming again. That same sensation he'd felt only a few times before. The red glow. A sudden energy surge that spread throughout his body, starting from his core. He didn't feel tired anymore, nor did he feel the pain from the injuries he had suffered thus far. Looking down at his hand and tome, he could see small red speckled coming out of them. It felt...familiar too. Without warning, he extended his right hand towards Chalard, focusing his energy on the palm of his hand. In an instant, a glowing, red energy accumulated there, taking a spear like shape.

"That is-?!" Chalard was cut short when the energy spear pierced his chest, sending a wave of pain through him. The man shrieked, maybe out of pain, maybe out of surprise. He dropped his own tome in a panic, trying to grab the energy that had suddenly crashed into him, but his hands stopped before he could do so, almost as if there was something preventing him from reaching to it. "Master Grima...my life force...is yours…"

Robin just stood there, not understanding what had happened. He stared at his hand as if it would give him an answer, but the speckles he had seen before were no longer there. The red glow as a whole had disappeared, leaving behind no evidence. By the time he noticed someone approaching him, the battle was over and the sandstorm had come to pass. _What…? How long have I been standing here for?_

"Are you hurt, Robin?" Lissa asked as she approached the tactician. "You look like you just saw a ghost. WAIT! Did you… Y-you didn't really see a ghost, did you?" The girl shivered as she looked from side to side, gripping her staff tightly. "I never know when it comes to you…"

"Don't be silly, Lissa," said Chrom. "Robin is a good tactician, but he is not a supernatural entity."

Lissa could only laugh nervously at the statement. Obviously, she knew that he wasn't a supernatural entity. Then again… How did that explain his connection to the old legends?

"I have to say, you _do_ look strange, Robin," Chrom pointed out. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to gauge how well he truly was. "Perhaps you do need to get some rest. We should return to camp."

"It's nothing. I'm okay," Robin said, finally bringing his hands back to his side. He wasn't lying. He was okay...physically. He didn't feel hurt, nor even tired. But that was making him confused. Not ten minutes earlier he had been exhausted, ready to collapse, and now there he stood, as if nothing had happened. "Let's just get everyone together and head back to camp."

That's what they did. Using the Mind-Links, Robin had everyone gather up before they started walking back. It was a funny sight, seeing everyone covered in sand. Normally Robin would have found it humorous, but that day he let it go as if nothing. During the walk, Lyn would look over at him from time to time. It looked like she wanted to ask him about it, but she was holding herself back. Instead, she got a hold of his hand and simply held it as they kept on simple act made his heart rate to slow down. _Why was my heart racing in the first place?_

Back in camp, Canas, Nowi, and Gregor were asked to go to the war tent to discuss the situation of the battle. Robin reassured the druid that Chrom would likely ask for them to join the Shepherds and that he shouldn't worry about anything as long as he made no mention of Elibe.

"You are a scholar doing some sort of field work, you say?" Chrom asked as he looked at Canas from the other side of the table, Robin, Lyn, Lissa, and the khans standing on his sides. "It sounds to me like you take your job very seriously, Canas. But what I can't understand is how you got involved with the Grimleal in the first place. I know that they were after Nowi, but where did you come in?"

"Ah, my apologies, Lord Chrom, I do go off on tangents quite often. I was in a village north from here after I got separated from my group when I came across some sort of auction block. They had many interesting goods, from books to potions and salves. Imagine my surprise when they brought up a young girl to be sold!"

"They were selling slaves?"

"Those meanies… They would have me transform for them… And… And...do tricks!" Nowi said, bursting into tears. "Like I was some sort of party animal!"

"That's disgusting!" Lissa said, outrage by the idea. "Who would have a little girl do something like that? Even if you are a manakete, that's just… Ugh!"

"Wee one is little only in the size," said Gregor. "Nowi be the oldest person here! Haha!"

"Wah! Well, I know manaketes live a long time, but… How long are you exactly, Nowi?"

Nowi pinched her chin and look down at the ground. She had to be really old if she had forgotten her own age. As a human, Robin found the idea bizarre. Not everyone celebrated their birthdays, but forgetting one's own age wasn't something that could be heard commonly. "I would say a thousand and something! Give or take a few decades."

"We are getting off track here again," said Chrom. "Canas, what happened after you saw Nowi?"

"Well, I couldn't just leave her there, so I thought that I could buy her and set her free that way… But the starting bid was too high for me after I'd spent some on books, you see. But it was also too much for everyone else in the room. When the starting bid wasn't met, she was sent "back to storage," as the auctioneer put it. I left the place soon after in look for help. That's when I bumped into Gregor. I figured that if I couldn't buy her and set her free, we could break her out."

"It was a lot of fun too! I haven't seen anyone use a tome quite like pops," said Nowi cheerfully.

"You flatter me, miss Nowi."

"I see…" Chrom was about to continue when Frederick came in. For as long as Robin had known the man, he'd never seen look anything less than perfect. Even when angered or when showing distrust, the knight would hold his stoic exterior. Seeing him anything less than that was enough for everything to understand that something wasn't right.

"Milord! Grave news!" Frederick looked at everyone in the room before turning back to the prince. "An army has been spotted north from here. They are marching in our direction."

No other word was needed for everyone inside the tent to go out to see for themselves. If the Plegians were attacking, the Shepherds and Feroxi would suffer massive casualties. It could very well put a dent into their plan of rescuing Emmeryn.

"By the gods," muttered Flavia as they all reached the top of the nearest dune and saw the approaching force. "There must be at three thousand at least… We won't be coming out of this without losing a few of our own."

"What banner are they carrying?" Chrom asked. "I don't recognize it."

"Lord Mark! Lady Lyndis! Look! They've caught up to me!" Canas turned around to look at the tactician and the noman, who were just reaching the top of the dune.

"W-what do you mean caught up to you?!" Lissa screamed at Canas. "You never said anything about this! Just what did you do to have so many people chasing after you?!"

"Mark… Those banners…" Lyn looked at the distant army, her jaw dropping.

Robin felt the same way. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was left flabbergasted, unable to get a word out.

"Robin? Do you know who those banners belong to?" Chrom asked, not able to hide his unease.

Robin nodded weakly, but kept looking into the distance. "Those are not banners of any house in Plegia… Those are the banners of Marquess Hector of House Ostia…"

* * *

I think this time around I won't go into a breakdown for the chapter. I'm literally about to start baking a cake to have _some_ kind of Christmas celebration. You guys read the chapter anyways, so you know what happened!

On to reviews!

 **potatoman098** -Hahaha depends on the stalker, I suppose. Considering it's me we are talking about? Psssh! Of course you should! There is good reason for him being so secretive. I mean, even with the bonds he's been making with the others, he is still an outsider. Revealing too much too soon could damage the way people see him. That would suck when there are some that are just starting to...I don't want to say like, but I can't of another word. You know, Sully and Vaike mainly. Imagine what would happen if they all learned that he was a vessel for Grima? I can totally picture a balloon with Lissa's face drawn on it that gets bigger and bigger every chapter, haha! Since it's the holidays and all, you can have a gingerbread person (none gender specific) as a reward!

 **starlightkitsune2178** -That...is going to be a really awkward meeting. It all depends on how they go about it. If no one ever tells her that it was Lucina who almost killed Robin, I can see them becoming good friends still... But if she learns about it, be it as soon as they meet or later on, well, it won't be pretty. No matter how good of an assassin Legault is, there are things he can't avoid, especially when he didn't know they existed in the first place. I want to draw a small comic of Legault following Robin in different places and then Panne just looking at Legault from the corner of each panel.

 **Whatstoknow** -I keep trying to submit these chapter the same day of the week to have some sort of consistency, but I always end up publishing them the day after xD Glad you liked it. With it being one of the first big steps towards a completely alternate timeline, I appreciate it.

 **Anthiques thief** -that's also something I kept thinking about. I honestly don't see a reason to change the classes much. Right now, I'm also trying not to name the classes right out. That's why I keep calling enemies swordsmen and axemen. Keeping it generic helps. Once I get a good bunch of characters, I don't think I'll be able to do that without getting people confused. Anyways, yes, like this chapter showed, I do plan on having the classes be the same for the characters that came from a different game.

 **Sugouxxx** -Nino and Jaffar is as canon as it gets. I don't care what anyone else says! Only sad thing is knowing what could happen to Jaffar...

 **Tumberboy12** -I have soooo many plans related to Idenn it's not even funny. It's heavily changed the way the story will play out, I'll tell you that much. As for the enigmatic man... no comment...

 **speedking535** -Well, even if they don't get to save her, she could still survive since that's also canon. I guess you'll have to wait _a little_ more before you find out what happens to her, hehehe.

 **allent Vth** -It sure did. It's only going to change more from now, like this chapter implies. The relationship between Robin and Lucina will be very strained in the future, I think. It will depend on whether or not he can forgive her and if she can look past what the Robin in her timeline did. One thing is for sure, it won't be the same kind of relationship (none romantic) they had in the game.

 **animeandgamerlover2** -That's awesome! I'm going to say what you probably already know, but I'll say it anyway. Make it for a series that you love and would have like to be different or expanded on. If it's a straight out novelization, you won't attract as large of an audience. Also, have fun with it! Not everyone will like what you do, but that's true for everything, so don't mind what they say and stick to the positive reviews you get. If you post one for Fire Emblem, chances are that I'll read it. I'll make sure to pop bye and say hello :P As for the characters... Well, I guess you got your answer already!

 **Yugiohfangirl** -You are welcome! And thank you very much, I'm happy to hear you are liking the story so far! A conversation between Chrom and Robin about what he learned would be fun. "So yeah, your future daughter tried to kill me because I am Grima or something like that" xD Fire Emblem games, or rather series (there are 3 fates games, so I count those as 1) there are 14, Awakening being FE13. Not all the games came to the West though, so you may not have heard of many of the others.

 **Muggzy** -I'm glad to hear you think so. That conversation between Lucina and Robin was so hard to get done. There was so much I was tempted to do with it, but it would put things in an awkward position for future chapters. In the end, I was happy with what I put out. Hahaha, glad you liked the Panne-Legault thing too. They are two characters that I don't think anyone would ever see interacting, which is why I wanted to have them do so here xD

 **Yellowclover** -I think the best way I could bring some easily without a problem would be if there are pairing between character of FE7 and FE13. All those children would be original characters, except for the ones that we already know exist. I can't give away whether they noticed or not, but think about it this way as far as Frederick goes: if he found out that there was someone else that was related to the Exalted blood line, would he go directly to Robin, this Robin, and tell him about it? The two are in better terms than when they first met, yes, but there hasn't been much of a connection between them either. As for the Plegian prejidous, I'll be completely honest, I overlooked it. When I saw your review I literally slouched on my chair! That was a missed opportunity right there. And to your last point, that is something that I've been thinking about. I feel like she would let some things slip out, but it will all depend on how things turn out in the future. It would be terrible (for the characters) if she told them that X or Y would die. It's just one more thing for me to consider in the future.

 **Defcon Deceiver** -It's nice to hear you say that! And I get you when it comes to college courses. I used to drop a lot of roleplays (back when I did those) because of though classes. Always made me feel bad, but you gotta do what you gotta do to get through those classes. The story will always be here. The class? Hopefully you only have to take it once! ...- using these to separate stuff a bit-... You flatter me. I would be lying if I said that doesn't make me feel good, haha. Hmm, I hadn't considered the outrealms that much, to be honest. Interesting. I'll have to keep that in mind in for the future. ... That was deliberate. When I wrote this story, I was going to stick a lot more to the events of the game. But every chapter I write, I get more and more ideas that I want to explore, right? That makes me want to change things even more! The end of this chapter should hint at what I'm saying. With Hector showing up, there is no reason for me to be limited to characters that aren't part of the original FE6 lore. I totally want Owain to meet Eliwood and/or Roy. Having him be start struck would be fun! The swordsmanship point is a good one, and I've come up with several ways to showcase it. Got to work on when it happens, though. ... I mentioned long ago that I am a big fan of the GBA sprite animations. I was mad when they were replaced by simple animation in later games! That's why I went with the GBA version of Flux when describing the spell instead of the Awakening one too. Also, important to note, assassin have similar sprite animations for their criticals, though theirs only show two "shadows" and are slower than Lyn's. ... Light magic is also something I want to explore at some point. I think I'll show it off once someone that can use it comes in, but it won't be fully showcased until they fight Risen more often. ... Because of how criticals and abilities appear in the game, it'll be like you said: they will only be able to be used when the character is under certain circumstances, but using them will also deplete them of energy quite quickly. This is mainly because if they could use them whenever they like, they would be using them all the time, taking away from the feeling of "woah! This is special!"


	19. And so worlds collided

Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Sorry about that. I've had a lot of work to do this whole month, which burned me out on everything else. I've kept writing stuff, but I had little progress. Int he case for this story, I would forget about it for days and days and then come back to it, re work what I had, but could never find a good ending point. I finally decided that, seeing as my schedule for this coming month is looking a bit better, I will be making shorter chapters for the time being. I don't want to have you guys wait a _month_ for a single chapter. Plus, shorter chapters mean that I can get them done in two or three sittings instead of a dozen. This is coming at the right time for his story, actually, as we are very near the end of this arc. You'll see what I mean later, hehe.

Anyways, thanks a lot to everyone that left a review and to those that PMed me asking about the story.

As always, remember to let me know what you think by leaving a review! Also, if you a re really liking the story, follow and/or favorite the story! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 19: And so worlds collided_

"That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life!" Sully paced around Robin while, at him as if waiting for him to say that he was joking and come out with the "real"truth. The other Shepherds and the khans were mulling over the news, also unconvinced of what the tactician had said. The timing of this new army's appearance couldn't have been worse. Had it been just Canas that showed up, it would have been easy to cover up any suspicion like Robin had done before, but this? This was on a whole other level. It was understandable that the others wouldn't take his word at face value, but it didn't mean Robin wasn't finding it frustrating. It seemed like not only his credibility was being questioned, but also his sanity, as only a someone that had lost it would believe him. "You expect us to believe that a whole army lead by a man of old fairytales just popped here out of a freakin' book? And you _know_ this man personally? _And_ he's gonna to help us? I'd been thinkin' that maybe I'd been wrong about you, Robin... Chrom wouldn't normally trust anyone unconditionally and so fast as he does you. But it turns out you were just another lying _snake_ like I first thought! You Plegians are all the same!"

"I understand that you may find it hard to believe, Sully, but it's the truth," said Lyn as she took a step forward to stand next to Robin. She did this without showing any hesitation. Though she didn't show it, Robin could tell that she felt liberated with the truth out in the open. She'd been good at keeping the details of her past to herself, but sooner or later, if someone had poked enough, she would have let the cat out of that bag. Given how things turned out, that would have been preferable. She exchanged a look with Robin, her eyes full of determination. "I myself would never had believe the existence of a world that is not my own. It is a ridiculous notion. I once stood in your shoes, and believe me, I was as skeptical as all of you are now. But then I found myself here, in this strange new world. I found Mark again too! He'd been gone from our world for six years, and here he stood, safe and sound…!"

Sully wasn't having it. Instead of listening to the good points that Lyn mentioned, she focused on her own argument instead. "So what you are saying is that Robin _did_ lie to us! You just said it yourself, he came from "your" world, am I right? That means that this whole thing about running away from Plegia was a ruse! What's next? Tharja is actually some princes that was kidnapped by an orc?!"

"That's enough, Sully!" Chrom had to step in, his hand pulling at Sully's shoulder. Robin hadn't said a word throughout all of it, trying to find a way to fix things, but with no luck. Chrom, on the other hand, had kept his cool all the way. He didn't look at Robin suspiciously or with spite. He looked more like he wanted to understand. He turned to look at Lyn and said, "I'm sorry about this, Lyn… You have to understand that Robin never mentioned anything about this to us. He shared what we thought was his full story with some of us, my sister included, but not once did he make a mention of Elibe. Even after you showed up, he kept it to himself. And truth be told, I can see why. This is...too hard to believe."

"You may not understand it, milord, but it doesn't make it any less true." Isadora joined the inner circle of Shepherds, walking tall and strong, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, not defensively, but just like a knight would when tensions ran high. "I too have been withholding information at the request of Lord Mark. The truth is that I come from the same world that Lady Lyndis does. I am a paladin of house Pherae of Lycia. I was given orders by Lady Eleanora to come in seek of Lord Mark as rumors of an old enemy's activity surfaced. These rumors had him in harm's way and, as someone that once lent us his mind, Lady Eleanora thought we should repay the favor by lending him our steel."

"I appreciate your honesty, Isadora, but that doesn't make things any easier to process. It is as Sully said. Elibe and the events that transpired there are considered old tales here. Some call them legends, others fairytales. But no one could ever prove that they did indeed happen." He looked over at Legault, who stood a distance away, though was listening in on the conversation as were the rest of the Shepherds. "That being said, if what you've said is true, then I assume that everyone that refers to Robin as Mark would be from Elibe... Then, what about Legault? Is he from Lycia too?"

"No. Not from Lycia, milord." Finally Legault joined them. Somehow, he was able to keep his composure. He walked slowly towards the center, which gave time for Isadora's words to sink in as well as Robin to think of what to say. He came to a stop, standing between the knight and the tactician. "Though I _do_ come from Elibe as well, like you implied, my home and my loyalty belong to the Kingdom of Bern, ruled by King Zephiel. Though I came here under orders of Princess Guinevere for a similar reason as Dame Isadora... I was an assassin for the Black Fang at an earlier point in my life. It was soon after I left and taken up a life of thievery that I met Lady Lyndis, Dame Isadora, and Lord Mark, though back then, most of us referred to him as Tactician, most of the time. Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector, and Lady Lyndis were the only ones that _always_ referred to him as Mark."

"And Canas…?"

"I come from Ilia, milord. I too joined the forces of Lord Mark, Lord Hector, and Lord Eliwood some six years ago when I learned they were to visit the Dread Isle. And though after the war I returned to Etruria, a month ago Lord Hector sent for me to join him in this expedition. I was the one that opened the portal between our worlds, allowing us to, ehm...cross to this side, if you will." Canas smiled at Chrom, looking satisfied with his own answer. He had certainly answered a lot of the questions in Robin's head. Opening a portal was something he didn't think was possible… And to open one large and for long enough for an entire army to go through? That was even more impressive.

"All of this is giving me a headache." Chrom rubbed his head to dispel the pain for the information overload.

"It's not that hard, Chrom," said Lissa as she approached her brother, holding a thick book in her arms. When she got close, she opened the book to some page and showed it to Chrom and Sully, who examined the image in detail. "That's Elibe there. See? Erturia is at its center, Ilia is on the north-east, Sacae, where Lyn comes from, is on the east, Bern is on the south-east, and Lycia is on the south. The other territories you don't have to worry about. That's what your _best_ little sister is here for!"

"Sacae? How do you know that Lyn is from Sacae, Lissa?" The prince's brow furrowed as he turned to look at his cheerful sister, crossing his arms over his chest. "It sounds to me like you've known about this for some time, Lissa… You wouldn't have a book ready like that if you didn't. When exactly did you learn about this?"

"Ugh!" Lissa immediately backed away, looking like a scared cat. "Hahaha...haha...ha… W-Well, I _kiiiinda_ overheard Robin, Isadora, and Lyn talking about it the night of the assassination attempt on Emm… But! I wasn't sure about it! I didn't want to make a fuss over nothing, so I just… I didn't think it would turn into something like _this_! I certainly wasn't expecting the Marquess of Ostia himself to show up with a _whole_ army!"

"I guess this explains all your mumbling and sneaking around lately… Very well then. There is only one more person that can give us any answers, isn't there?" It had finally come. The moment Robin had been trying to avoid. He grimaced just thinking about it. Chrom and everyone else _deserved_ answers. "Robin… You have never given me a reason to doubt your word. Ever since we met, I know you've had our best interests in mind, which is why I gave you the benefit of the doubt so many times before. But there is no avoiding it anymore, my friend… Tell me, is all of this true? Have you lied to us all this time?"

They all went silent, giving Robin their full attention. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully to avoid anyone jumping to conclusions too quickly. The others had already said their parts, explaining only what they could. The main problem was Robin… He too had many questions in his mind that he wanted answers for. He didn't understand how it all had happened in the first place! And why the Black Fang thought he would be connected to Grima! And why Lucina had said that it was _him_ who had murdered Chrom in her future! And!-

He took a deep breath, readying himself. "I _am_ Plegian. I never knew my birth mother. My parents—they found me in her dead arms and took me in. They gave me a home, food, clothing, and anything else a growing child needs. I was raised as a farmer, living a peaceful life… And then the war started. It was during the war that my village was attacked and my parents killed by soldiers of Ylisse-" Most of the Shepherds and both Khans reacted to that statement. Frederick especially. If Robin left it there, it was as good as confessing he had ill intentions. "-I was taken in by my first master and taught the basics on magic as well as tactics. Some years passed and I was sent to my second master… He was the one that tortured me for years. I've told you this before. These are all _facts_. I have the scars to prove it. I could even take you to what is left of my village if you don't believe me."

The memories were old, but even to that they, Robin had a hard time talking about it all to everyone. He'd been able to share his past before because it was only with a small group, but here were all the Shepherds. It was as if he standing naked for all of them to see. His fingers felt cold. He had clenched his fists without noticing, nails digging into his gloves hard enough to cut into the leather. He could taste the bile pooling in his mouth. Swallowing it back, he continued on. "But that's not the _whole_ story. Before I met Tharja, while training under Validar, I was sent to do a strange kind of training… That's where things get complicated for me to explain. I still don't understand it myself, but I somehow ended waking up in Elibe… I thought I was hallucinating, or dreaming, whether from a hex or a drug. It was the only way to explain the things I was seeing. I was there to hone my craft as a tactician, I knew that… All I could do was play along. So I played my part. The first person I met was Lyn, who had found me unconscious in the middle of nowhere. Though hesitant at first, I helped her with her journey along other people we met on the way… Some time passed, and I found myself helping others in their own journeys, Lord Hector and Lord Eliwood amongst them. And, as chance would have it, I reunited with Lyn and the rest of the group of people I first met.

"I was there for more than a year. A year! ...A year of constant battles. One after another, guiding these people I thought were part of my imagination into combat while I stayed behind, hoping that none of them would die because of my mistakes… And then! After peace had come to Elibe… Nothing… As quick as it had started, I was back here. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to everyone. That's how sudden it happened. I was back again. And to my surprise, only a fraction of time had passed since I'd left… Just like that, I was back to the torture that was my everyday life learning under Validar…

"Time passed and I slowly pushed the memories of the people I'd met during that training to the back of my mind. I eventually met Tharja, and… Well, you know the rest of that story, don't you?" The brunette's voice had become more and more hoarse the longer he talked. No one dared stop him. Be it because they didn't know what to say or because they wanted to hear the truth on its entirety, who could really say? But he wasn't done yet. Tears were starting to pool on the corner of his eyes as he smiled at Lyn. "So imagine how I felt when I saw Lyn back in Arena Ferox! Had I not been so shocked to see her when she pulled me cloak back then, I think I would have fallen on my knees and cried my eyes out from the joy. More amazing than seeing that she was real was the fact that she had grown so much! You see, when we first met, she was sixteen and I was twenty two. When last I saw her, she was seventeen and I was supposed to be twenty three. But in front of me didn't stand the same teenage girl I once knew. There was a woman that had caught up to me and grown past me while I wasn't looking… Hehe…"

Robin wasn't the only one with watery eyes. He could see that Lyn was teary-eyed herself as she smiled back at him. He could also see her cheeks were slightly flushed. Seeing her like that was strangely beautiful for Robin. It reminded him of the first time they had parted ways back in Caelin, right after they had rescued her grandfather. He took her hand on his own, squeezing it firmly as if to confirm that she was still there, because even after everything that they had gone through since meeting up again, he still didn't feel like it was all entirely real. With his free hand, he quickly rubbed his eyes to get rid of the tears before looking back at Chrom.

"I didn't think much about it back then. I mean, I was curious about it, but because we were dealing with the Risen threat, I didn't think her showing up had any major significance… But then we met Isadora. She told me that the Black Fang was looking for me. Or so was the rumor. Again, I dismissed it because I didn't think it was worth exploring at the time. We were going to take Emmeryn to safety, after all. Then I was almost killed. Legault did confirm some things to us about the rumors surrounding myself and the Fang, but we were heading to war. My personal problems could wait."

"Are you saying that Marth is part of the Black Fang?" Lissa asked, looking more confused than she had been before.

"No. We talked to her when we took her to the dungeon in Ylisstol, before Chrom and Frederick showed up. I… She told me a lot of things, but I can assure you that she had nothing to do with the Fang...to the best of _her_ knowledge." There were many more things he could tell them. He could talk about Grima, or about Lucina being Chrom's daughter from the future, but there was a time and place for everything and that wasn't it. "There are many other things I wish I could tell you, Chrom. If I understood them; if we weren't in the middle of a war; if Emmeryn's life wasn't in danger, I would tell you. For now, believe me when I tell you that this is all the truth. It is all I can give you..."

Chrom gazed at his tactician intently in complete silence, not hinting at what his response would be, most likely weighing all the points to decide what the best course of action would be. After a couple of minutes passed, Chrom stood straight, still looking at the brunette. "I believe you, Robin."

Robin let out a long sigh of relief, thankful that he had gotten through to Chrom. On the other hand, Sully wasn't as pleased. She immediately protested. "Chrom! Ya can't be serious? Didn'tcha hear half the things that came out of his mouth?"

"It is _precisely_ because of what he said that I believe him," Chrom said, turning to look at the cavalier. "Think about it, Sully. What kind of spy or conspirer against Ylisse would come up with a far-fetched story like that as a cover? I doubt Plegia would risk sending in someone that couldn't come up with a better story if it meant a shot at getting the Fire Emblem and eliminating Lissa and I. Moreover, Robin has show in the past that he deserves our trust and respect. He's kept us safe all of this time, yourself included, by the way. Who do you think had the idea to leave you behind during the attack? With that sandstorm, you could have gotten yourself injured or worse…"

Sully took a step back, looking over at Robin. He could tell that she had clenched her jaw hard, the muscles on her face tensing up. He had expected her to throw a few swings at him for not bringing her, but something about the way Chrom put it made the tactician think that there was a reason why that hadn't happened.

"As hard to believe as it may be, I still believe in Robin," Chrom continued. "Lissa too obviously does, if she kept that secret for so long. Everyone here knows her well enough to know that she isn't the best at keeping secrets-"

"Hey!" Lissa whined.

"-and I doubt that _she_ would have anything to do with it if it put Emm, her, and I at risk. That being said, I still don't know how to feel about this army appearing here and now. It could be that someone in Plegia found out about this same stories and the connection to Robin and are using those banners as a way to catch us off guard. I think we should discuss what our next move will be before they get here. Perhaps we should consider sending a group to meet with them to see if they do pose a threat to us or not."

"Oh! Oh! I'll go!" Lissa jumped up and down, waving her hand up in the air. "I've always _dreamed_ of seeing Lord Eliwood with my own eyes! If Lord Hector is there, then he will be there too!"

"Nonsense, darling!" Maribelle moved to her friend's side, holding down the hand of the other blonde. "Have you forgotten what your brother has just said? If it is some kind of trap, then we can't risk you going in!"

"B-B-But! I _really_ want to meet him, Maribelle!"

"Lady Maribelle is correct, milady," said Frederick, who had been strangely quiet throughout the entire ordeal. "With the Exalt in perille, we can't risk any more of the exalted bloodline to be captured. Gods forbid that something were to happen… I will lead a team to meet with these people. If they are to be trusted, then we can have them meet with Lord Chrom and the khans."

"It looks like we won't get a chance to make the first move," said Basilio. Behind him, a slim girl with fair skin and long, pink hair was cowering, looking at the Shepherds nervously. Basilio extended a hand to the girl, as if presenting her. "I'll keep introductions short. This is Olivia. She is one of ours. She's kept watch of the unknown army since it was first spotted." He put one of his large hands on her shoulder, eliciting a small peep from the girl. "Tell them what you saw."

The girl took a step from behind the Khan, fidgeting with part of her outfit as she came into full view. Her cheeks were as pink as her hair, either from nervousness or the heat, as she pumped herself up to talk. She took a small bow first, and when she finished, she said, "mi-milords…! A small group of armed men detached itself from the main force. They are heading in this direction as we speak!"

"The choice has been taken off our hands then," said Chrom. "We have no other option but to greet them as they arrive. If this turns out to be some elaborate plan, then let them try to hit us when we are all together." The prince ordered his men to form three rows, telling Robin that he shouldn't stand at the front in case they did need to go into combat. In front of these rows the bluenette, Frederick, and the khans would stand, hoping that if they strangers were going to be diplomatic, greeting them with the leaders of their forces would be best (Frederick wouldn't let Chrom stand at the front unless he was there, so Chrom had to give in.)

Everyone stood shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting for the first one of the Ostian party to show face. The Shepherds looked somewhat nervous. This was something that an outsider would not notice, but as their tactician, Robin could see each individual's little tells, be it running a thumb over their weapon like Vaike was doing, or increased breathing like Donnel. They all knew that the group of eight approaching could be defeated easily if it came to that, but if the full force were to attack after that, the desert would become a backdrop to a bloodbath.

Soon enough, one of the figures came from the horizon. Whoever it was, they were pushing their horse to go full throttle despite the terrain. The sand was lifted off and scattered behind the horse as they kept getting closer and closer. It was a knight, judging from the heavy armor that he was wearing. Unfortunately for Robin, because of where he stood amongst the Shepherds, he wouldn't be able to tell if he recognized the man or not.

The man forced the horse to a stop a few feet away from where Chrom and the kahns stood, pulling the reigns to have the horse lose momentum by having it turn. The knight remained on his horse, looking down at the people in front of him. "Are you the leaders of this army?" asked the knight in a voice that Robin found to be rather familiar, despite, or perhaps because, of how stoic it was.

"That we are," said Chrom. "My name is Chrom, and I lead my Shepherds, a force of soldiers from the Halidom of Ylisse. The big man to my left is Khan Basilio, while the woman to my right is Khan Flavia, both of Regna Ferox."

"That would be _ruling_ Khan. Don't lump me together with that old oaf," said Flavia as she crossed her arms. "You look like a knight to me. Shouldn't you introduce yourself before making questions? I assume you are with that large army."

"My apologies, Khan Flavia. You are correct to say so, but as it is, I am short on time. I will have to keep this brief, as the rest of my party will soon be here. I am a vassal to Marquess Ostia, though for the time being I've taken back the role of an Ostian Knight. My name is Oswin, and I serve under Lord Hector. It is...pleasant to make your acquaintance."

" _Is he someone you recognize, Robin?_ " Chrom asked. Of course, as a precaution, Robin had casted Mind-Link with the prince and the khans, which Chrom had been thankful for. This also allowed them to be able to talk without having to exchange looks, given Robin's position. " _That name does sound familiar…_ "

" _It sounds like Oswin, alright,_ " Robin said back. " _Though, I can't see him very well from where I stand. Have him talk some more, maybe get him to get closer so that I can take a better look at him. It's been six years, so without a good look, I won't be able to tell for sure._ "

"And what brings you to us, if I may ask?"

The man identifying himself as Oswin remained put, keep some distance between himself and the front line. He was probably wary that he would be greeted by more than twenty armed individuals. Though not as cautious as Frederick, Oswin always had an eye out for immediate danger, especially where Hector was concerned. That was what made him a good asset, if not somewhat hard to deal with at times.

"Some of our own got separated from the main force some time ago," answered the knight. "We've been looking for them ever since. But this dessert is vast, slowing us down on our pursuit."

"Ah, Lord Oswin, it _was_ you!" Heads turned as a certain druid walked to the front of the group, Nowi and Gregor following behind him. "I ask for your forgiveness in this matter. There were…complications after I was done with the auction. One thing lead to another and, well, here we are! I have to say, Lord Chrom and everyone here helped us rid ourselves of our pursuers. They are good people. Oh! And there are a few familiar faces here too!"

"Familiar faces, you say?" Oswin repeated, looking at Canas with a raised eyebrow. "And whose might those belong to?"

"I would like to know about this too," came another familiar voice from behind Oswin. they had all been so preoccupied with the exchange between the knight clad in orange armor and Chrom that they had forgotten about the other seven that formed the approaching group. This new figure came on his own as well, likely having followed Oswin. But this man wasn't just any other man. No, this man was clad in a royal blue heavy armor, with hair that matched it. He had changed his cape from a crimson red one to a white one, same for his trousers. His beard had also grown longer, but there was mistaking him, even with all these changes. In front of everyone, getting off his horse, stood Hector.

The Marquess walked the rest of the distance, getting closer than Oswin had with his horse. Like always, Hector didn't look afraid of his choice, be it because he had guts or because he was too stupid to consider the consequences for his actions. Robin inwardly smirked, seeing that even time hadn't changed the man all that much. Hector stood in front of Canas, taking a quick look at him. "Tell me, Canas, what was it this time that got you separated from us? Walking while reading another blasted book or following some other "interesting" magical aspect?"

 _That does sound like Canas_ , thought Robin.

The druid laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Always so insightful, milord… It was the latter…" Hector sighed in annoyance, shaking his head.

"Excuse me," Chrom interjected, gaining the attention of the Ostians. "I'm sorry to interrupt when you've finally found your man, but… If it's not too much to ask, who might you be?"

"Are you serious, Chrom?!" the shriek came from the last row. Lissa pushed those in front of her out of the way as she tried to make her way to her brother's side, Maribelle on her heels. The princess looked incredulously between Chrom and Hector as if she was expecting that by doing that he would know who the man was. "This is the First Great Lord himself! You know, Lord Hector? Geez, Robin even mentioned him before they showed up! I can't believe you don't remember! You used to really like the stories about him when we were little."

"You seem to know who my liege is, fair lady," said Oswin as he finally descended from his horse, standing to the side of Hector like Frederick always did with Chrom. "This is Marquess Ostia, Lord Hector of Lycia." He then took it upon himself to introduce Chrom, Flavia, and Basilio to Hector. Of course, Lissa made sure to introduce herself too.

" _There is no doubt about it now, Chrom. IT's really them_." robin noticed Chrom nodding to himself.

" _I still want you to stay back there for the time being_ ," said the prince. " _Just because it is them doesn't mean they have our best interest at heart."_

"Is Lord Eliwood with you, too?" Lissa asked, failing to hide her excitement as she balled her fists and brought them to her chest.

Hector stared at her for a second before shaking his head. "Someone had to stay back in Lycia in case something happened over there too." Lissa looked like she deflated when she heard that. "I have to say, you have me at a disadvantage here, princess Lissa. You know a lot about us, but we know nothing about all of you except for your names."

But before Lissa had a chance to respond, they were joined by the remaining six of Elibe. Three horses and three pegasi carrying two men and four women stopped when they reached Oswin and Hector.

"We couldn't stop Lord Hector from getting here before us," said Serra, looking down in defeat. Robin noticed that she had gone through a big change. Instead of her two pigtails, the cleric had braided her hair with it falling over over her shoulder. Her attire had also change to a simple orange dress, though her scarf still remained. she moved to Oswin's side, giving him puppy eyes."I'm sorry, dear. I know you wanted to have a talk with these people before we arrived."

"Lord Hector has always had a rather headstrong approach to this type of situations. It's a miracle that I still have a job," said Matthew as he got off his own hoarse. Strangely enough, he look almost exactly the same except for a few pieces of leather armor that covered his shins and chest. His red cloak fluttered as he elbowed the man to his side. "Don't you think so too, Lord Kent?"

"I will refrain from commenting on such things," said Kent. His suit of armor was still red, but it somehow looked more regal. What really interested Robin was since when he had become "Lord Kent".

"Stop berating the big guy," said Farina as she made her way to Hector. Robin noted that she was wearing more armor than she did last he saw her. Not only that, but she had chosen to wear a similar style of armor, down to the royal blue color, that Hector had. Her hair had also grown as long as Fiora's. She elbowed her husband and grinned, though she kept talking with Matthew. "He might do all those things, but that's why I think he is the best for this kind of things! Besides, I can't have you saying those things about the father of my child. I may be Lady Farina now, but that won't stop me from driving my lance through you, Matthew."

Meanwhile, Fiora, the eldest of the Pegasus Sisters, giggled from the top of her pegasus as she looked at the exchange between the others.

The last one there was the youngest of the Pegasus Sisters, and also the most shy girl Robin had ever met. Florina landed besides Fiora, keeping her distance from the group of strangers that was in front of her. It seemed that despite the years she had gained, she hadn't been able to come out of her shell all that much. She did sit taller on her pegasus, but her meekness was noticeable. Robin could see her scanning the Shepherds, one by one. He was glad that he had his cowl up, covering most of his face, as if he was seen, who knew how everyone would react. Isadora and Legault, though they also knew Florina very well, had been sent to the furthest spots on the back row, probably so that they wouldn't be recognized either. But there was someone that Florina spotted immediately. He knew she had when her eyes widened and her lips curled up to a wide smile. She jumped down from Huey and broke into a sprint, dropping her lance on the sand near where Hector stood. Chrom and Frederick could only get out of the way when she came running at them as if they weren't even there. Finally, like a cat of prey, she pounced in the air towards a certain greenette that was standing besides the tactician. "Lyn!"

Robin let go of Lyn's hand so that she could catch Florina without dropping to the ground. He could see how happy both of them were to see each other, and he had no plans to stop their heartfelt reunion. He himself smiled as Lyn caught the shorter girl and laughed full heartedly, after all, it is not every day that two best friends get to see each other after gods knew how long.

After a much needed embrace, the two separated with a smile on their lips. "It's so good to see you again, Lyn! I can't believe you were here of all places," said the girl with the lavender hair. She gasped as if she had realised something. "If you are here, then what we heard about Mark being alive must be true!"

Hector looked to Canas, who was looking at the scene with a warm smile. "Was Lyn who you were referring to before?"

"Well, yes… Partially," answered Canas. "She wasn't the only one, though. I _did_ say I saw _faces_." As if on cue, both Isadora and Legault forced their way to the front line, where they each bowed to Hector.

"This is a surprise. Dame Isadora I expected to see. Eliwood told me of your journey. Legault, on the other hand, I never expected to see for as long as I lived! What business does King Zephiel have here?"

Legault smirked. "The same business you do, I suppose."

"I should have known better than asking you about it."

"You should have."

Hector frowned, not pleased with the toying of the assassin. He had to know that he wouldn't be getting anything out of the Hurricane because he turned his attention back to Isadora. "You've been here for close to two months, correct, Isadora? Tell me, have you been successful in locating Mark?"

For whatever reason, that was the moment Robin decided to break out into laughter. It was so sudden that Florina, who hadn't noticed him before, jumped back in surprise with a little "eeep!", which only made Robin laugh that much more. He couldn't help it! Even when most of the other people stared at him in both awe and suspicion all he did was laugh.

When his it finally died down, he was left without breath. With everything that had happened earlier, a good laugh was well appreciated. He smirked as he looked over at the two bluenettes, the prince and the Marquess, "Six years is a long time, but I didn't think you would go _that_ blind, Hector," Robin jested. the new arrivals faces were turning to that of surprise as soon as they heard him speak, but their eyebrows raised higher and jaws dropped lower when Robin removed his cowl, showing the face they would all remember. "It's good to see you all again."

The first one to speak was Hector, who had taken a good look at his old friend. He furrowed his brow, not looking all that convinced. "If you _are_ Mark, what's with the armor? Do you think yourself a fighter now?"

"If you are Hector, what's with the beard and hair? Do you think yourself as Uther now?" Robin retorted.

"He's got you there, Hector," said Farina as she smirked at the tactician. "When you let your beard grow the first time, I though it may be out of tradition. But as I explored Castle Ostia, the only portrait with a beard and long hair was Uther's."

"Ah, shut it, you," said Hector through gritted teeth, looking flustered before turning once again to face the brunette. "And you! I don't know what I find more disturbing about all of this: hearing you laugh out loud, you looking like you haven't aged in all this time, or you being able to jest with so many people around. What happened to the reserved and serious tactician we all knew all those years ago? Hell, I would say you would be some kind of skin-wearer if it wasn't for Lyn standing by your side! I doubt some hex would get past her that easily. But what I'm _really_ curious to know is what you are doing here, Mark."

The question surprised Robin. It seemed that, despite everything, Hector wasn't jumping to the simplest answer. Then again, he could have been thinking that Robin had shown up recently like he had done with them.

"This is my home," said the Plegian, spreading his arms as if to show it. "This where I came from. Of course I would be here. And though I'm happy to see you, I wish you had chosen a better time to visit. As you can see, we are marching for war. More specifically, to rescue Chrom's sister, Emmeryn, the Exalt of the Halidom of Ylisse.

"Taking on another war on your shoulders, huh? Living through three wars is more than any man should ever live through."

"This is the fourth war I've lived through, actually. I was too young at the time of my first to go into combat… But that is a story for some other time. What I really want to know, and I think I speak for everyone else here, is what _you_ are doing here in the first place? And why would you bring an army? Seeing as Bern sent only Legault and Eleanora sent only Isadora, I can't understand what would make you bring so many soldiers with you."

Hector glanced back at his wife, who shrugged at him. "Someone came to us some time ago, claiming to know where you had gone to after you disappeared," he said. "Many times in the past people had started rumors or approached lords with similar claims, but it always turned to be red herrings of one kind or another. What made this one different was the evidence that they presented… They said you had found yourself in the midst of another conflict, and with a small army, again! So I did what anyone in my position would do. I made a call to arms. You once helped us in our war. Let no one say that Ostia doesn't repay their favors. Our army is at your disposal."

It was decided that they would reconvene the next morning to discuss their movements towards the Plegian capital. With the added force of Ostia's army, it opened a whole bunch of new ways they could fight. Not only that, but they also had some pegasus knight with them, guessing from the appearance of Florina, Farina, and Fiora. They would come in handy in the rescue operation. Not to forget that with their original attack force increasing in size about four times over, they would stand in a more equal ground with the Plegian army defending the capital and their surroundings.

Hector and the others returned to join their army. Canas and Florina decided that they would spend the night with the Shepherds—Canas would probably speak with Nowi while Florina would spend her time with Lyn, Robin assumed. Speaking of whom, Robin noticed that the the former kept eyeing him from time to time. He would have gone and greeted her more properly, but he was pulled away by Chrom and the khans, who all wanted to understand what exactly this all meant for the war effort.

"To put it simply, we've secured our victory already," the tactician explained. "Ostia's knights were always regarded as the strongest warriors in Lycia back then. I doubt they would soften much since last I saw them. But even if we know we can win the fight and end the war, it is all for nothing if we can't get Emmeryn back."

"The lad is right," said Basilio. "We could bring an army of a hundred thousand men and it wouldn't make a difference. If the Mad King plans on executing the Exalt, then we need to make sure to rescue her before we go for a full assault."

"Agreed," said Chrom. "We slimmed down our numbers in the first place so that we could reach the capital much faster. Though I would like to be able to finish this war in one sweep, we can't endanger Emmeryn's life. We will be in a good position, even if we have to retreat and regroup after rescuing her. Gangrel won't have anywhere to run."

Robin nodded. "I think we should consider a variation of the original plan of rescue. Now that we have more Pegasus Knights at our disposal, we could try to get to Emmeryn at the same time that Basilio's men are rescuing Phila and the rest, or we could have Ostia's and Ylisse's Pegasus Knight join forces to try an aerial rescue. My only worry is that with so many of them, archers and wind-casters will become a problem."

"If that's the case then we will need to make sure they _don't_ become a problem. If we prioritize our targets, we should be able to get things ready."

Robin was happy to see how things had changed so quickly. From the tension that was there not long before, to the sense of certainty and confidence that everyone was displaying, things were looking up. If everything went their way, in a week's time Emmeryn would be reunited with Chrom and Lissa, the Pegasus Knights would be rescued, and maybe, _just maybe_ , the war would end... with a sword through Gangrel's heart.

* * *

I'll address something that I'm sure a lot of you noticed here: a sort of jump. That was me sort of rushing to end the chapter. Truth be told, I had some smaller things planned for this, but I decided to scrap them because they weren't completely necessary or I could bring them up either on the next chapter. It may seem off putting but it was either that or going back and doing a lot of stuff _again_ , which would delay the chapter to who knows when. No, I rather have it end like this so that I can start fresh with the next chapter.

This chapter must be overwhelming for people that never played Rekka No Ken. So many character to speak of! I hope you guys didn't get lost with so many new names on there. I originally planned on having more people on there, but I would have become more hectic. Eight characters in one go is a lot...

To those curious and those that didn't notice, there are two pairings that are confirmed on this chapters. One is Hector and Farina, who you might remember mentioning before long ago. The second one is one that I personally like a lot. There's just something about Oswin and Serra that works for me, even if there is a big age gap there.

Something that has nothing to do with the chapter is that I got myself a laptop. Finally! This means that I can go out and find inspiration to write or just write while I'm on my bed, haha! This should help with updates in the future, hopefully.

On to reviews!

 **starlightkitsune2178** -Hector has always been one of my favorite characters from the series in general. Not only was he super badass when playing, but his characterisation was really good, imo. I'm really going to enjoy having him around for this story, that's for sure!

 **animeandgamerlover2** -I don't think that age matters all that much when writing, especially fan fics. I started when I was around 12, though that was roleplaying, which is pretty similar. (Fun fact, my first ever roleplay was a Fire Emblem 7 RP.) Grammar is something that you can fix with practice. English isn't my second language, but I've been practicing for a long time. Even now, I still make mistakes. But the more I write, the fewer mistakes I make. No one's perfect. People won't chew you out for a few grammar mistakes. As for lazyness, well... Just work your way up. This story started with 3k chapters and at it's peak, the longest one was 11k. I also went from writing it all in one sitting to doing through multiple days. As long as you can write a little every other day, you should be fine! Also, as for Hector, he is a year older than Lyn, which would put him at 24...ish.

 **Tumerboy12** -Hahaha, that is one thing that will remain a mystery for the time being. It's one of those things that may be revealed soon or not at all, depedning on how the plot develops. Because of the perspective lock, it's hard to say who it might have been, since Robin couldn't see all that well. The only way for him to know is if someone came out and said it. As for Canas' mother, I don't see a reason to mention her right now. It's wouldn't add anything to the story at this point. I have a few things planned regarding her, but name dropping her just for the sake of it for no reason would seem out of place.

 **Sugouxxx** -So many peeps showing up for you here xP But no one form Sacae just yet, sadly.

 **Antiques thief** -Aaah, I see what you mean. I'm not too sure if I'll integrate all of those effects because some are a bit silly, but it's food for thought later on.

 **Yugiohfangirl** -If you were finding it confusing before, you are going to hate me for this chapter xD It'll get even more hectic in the future. With the characters from FE7, some of FE8, Awakening, and a few OCs, this story will have close to 100 characters. That's a lot of names to keep track of... Yeah, FE7 came out on game boy advance. Good times. I think I still have my old game back home. I really want it now. I think it's hard to keep track of all the games because they don't add a number to the actual title like Final Fantasy does, and because characters rarely show in more than one game.

 **Whatstoknow** -A little late from me, but I hope you had a merry christmas and new years too! It's good that you took notice of that...not that I was really hiding it or anything. Can't tell you why, but it's...good. Yes.

 **potatoman098** -Shit explosive... Diffused?

 **Guest (Dec25, Ch18)** -Hugh will definitely show up in the future. Though that's still a bit way off. I haven't thought much about any order for introducing the child units. I should really do that, haha

 **AdvancedAlto -** They did return them shortly after Nergal's defeat because they were only meant to borrow them. Having them be out there could lead to them getting used all at once, causing another catastrophe like the one that forced dragons to take on the manakete form. So for now, he doesn't have Armadas. That doesn't mean it won't show up in the future, though. Ah, yes, my plot is a _big_ web. There have been a few hints, though very well hidden. Maybe too well because no one has pointed them out before... No worries, we are getting there soon enough. I just need to plan a few things before the next big arc begins. Lloyd and Linus showing up is something that I'ver seriously considered. I have it written down on my ideas list, but I need to figure out a good way to make it happen so that it makes sense if I do go with it. I agree that they are really cool characters that didn't get too much screen time. From FE8 games, so far I've only decided on bringing in characters that are related to ones from FE7. Having 2 Karels would be pretty funny, though.

 **Animefortin95** -Other than playing all the games, you could read the plot section for each game on the Fire Emblem wiki. The problem there is that you don't learn anything about the personalities of the characters from each game or smaller interactions. With so many games and with each one of those having around 30 characters each, it would takes you a long time to figure all that out. You can obviously choose a small cast, picking one or two characters per game, but it would still be very difficult. You might be able to find youtube videos that explain the story for each game, though I kinda doubt you'll find any for the older games.

 **Fireofargentis** -The only things that would make Rekka No Ken better would be if the tactician had supports. I wish they released a remake where they did that. I would be all over that. Making fun of Hector's beard is a _must_. Always.


	20. And so we approached

_Chapter 20: And so we approached_

Despite the apprehensions most of the Shepherds held at the beginning when first meeting Hector and the rest, Robin was glad to see everyone getting along well with each other. As days passed, it was more and more common for him to see them chatting with each other. Everyone adapting quickly was good news to him, as it showed that they would trust each other in the battlefield.

Serra, who was now married to Oswin, bonded quickly with Maribelle and Lissa. In Robin's head, it made sense to see that their healers would get along well. It also helped that Serra had turned herself into a total lady. She was much more refined than she used to be, but some of her old quirks were still present. Perhaps having the official title of Lady helped with that. The three of them would often drink tea together and gossip about this and that, though Lissa would also turn the conversation to stories about Elibe, from what Serra had told him when he checked in on her.

Sumia and Cordelia were in friendly terms with all the Pegasus Sisters, but it was Fiora who they clearly admired the most, whether because of her skill as a fighter and as a Falcon Knight or because of her caring and mentor-like attitude. She was would often give them pointers during training to improve their movements and attacks while still being able to keep up her own training and that of her troops. She would even invite them over to train with them, which Robin insisted they take up to learn countermeasures against other flying units. He was glad to see that she remained as reliable as ever, but was shocked to learned that she had married Sain! How the flirt had been able to convince her of marrying him was beyond what the tactician could call a "logical decision".

When not talking with her sisters, her husband, or with Sumia and Cordelia, Farina liked to hang out with Sully and Raimi. Robin wasn't all that sure what the three would talk about, but from what he could see, they got along well enough. Seeing as the three were women that could beat up men to a pulp with only their fists, he tried keeping his distance as much as possible. In all honesty, he was trying to avoid Sully more than anything. Since she had accused him of lying and possibly being a traitor or spy, things had become too awkward. Still, he was glad to see the redhead socializing and putting some effort into forming bonds with the new arrivals.

Kent, or rather, Lord Kent since he had been appointed as steward of Caelin, had befriended an odd pair. First was Kellam. Though Robin could swear he'd never seen the two together, Kent said that the two of them had the chance to talk a few times and that he was good company. The other was Donnel, who Kent had taken under his wing, of sorts. Donnel was being a good sport about it. After going through the daily regiment of Frederick's training before marching, he would train some more with Kent in the evenings. How the young man was able to muster that much energy was as much of a mystery as to where Kellam was most of the time.

Canas was the one that talked to the most Shepherds, surprisingly. Though they had just joined, Nowi and Gregor would often talk with the druid, Nowi wanting to play while Gregor would exchange stories with him. Then there was Sumia too. As both of them were avid readers, they would lend each other book everyday. He would talk a lot with Ricken too, who would be more than glad to show off his magic abilities to the older man as Canas would always praise him. Lastly, Miriel and him became "academic partners", as Miriel put it. The kind of conversations that the two would have were too much for anyone else to follow. When the two were together, everyone knew not to approach unless they wanted to get a headache.

Not surprisingly, Oswin and Frederick started getting along. Perhaps because of their similarities, though Frederick held Chrom to a much higher standard than Oswin did, which could be attributed to the difference in age between Chrom and Hector. These two knights even exchanged exercise regimens to tweak their own. Also, because of his serious demeanor, Robin hadn't expected Oswin to get along so well with Gregor, who had turned out to be a very easy going guy.

Florina had spent most of her time catching up with Lyn. Seeing the two walking around camp chatting always brought a smile to Robin's face. To him, the two of them together looked exactly as they did when he last saw them. He'd also learned that, though she was a lot better when dealing with men, Florina still had trouble holding a conversation with anyone of the opposite gender for more than a few minutes. When he had the chance to talk to her, she wouldn't even look him in the eye, cowering every time he spoke up after an awkward silence. Part of him wanted to get and Lon'qu in a room to see how they would react to each other. Alas, they didn't have time to waste for something like that.

Matthew would have in depth discussions with Gaius about the different techniques that they each used to sneak around. Though Matthew worked as a spy and Gaius was a full-fledged thief, their lines of work made so that they could learn a lot about each other. Robin had heard that they had some sort of contest going too. Something about stealing a certain object from each other over and over again. Matthew also found a friend in Vaike, perhaps because of some of the similarities the blonde had to Hector...

Last but not least was Hector. The six years had done a number on him, not just in facial hair. He'd grown wiser, as he'd seen when they held the war counsels. It seemed that he didn't just look like Uther, but he also adopted some of his traits. That being said, he was much easier to tease. Six years of marriage to Farina might have had something to do with that. Still, he was a valuable asset not only because of his army, but because the man himself was a one-man-army. Just like the old days, he trained training with the different Shepherds to gage their strength. He beat every single one of them in single-combat. The only one that he struggled with was Gregor, though that match ended on a draw when they each forced the other to drop their weapon. Robin had known better than to fight against the iron-clad, using his lost sword as an excuse not to fight. Lyn, Legualt, and Isadora also declined the invitations to train.

Of course, there were other people that had joined them recently that were worth mentioning.

Nowi brought smiles to most faces around camp, always trying to get people to play with her. When not with Canas or Gregor, she would look for Ricken and Donnel, both of whom were more than happy to share their free time with the little Manakete. It was still too odd to think that the same girl Robin would see force people to play hide-and-seek with her was more than a thousand years old. Then again, there was a lot about manaketes that he still didn't understand. Even though he knew Nils and Ninian were manaketes, there were things that were probably different from the manaketes in Elibe than those in Ylisse.

Anna was more than happy to see the increase in the size of the attacking force. She would toss around a pouch full of gold at the end of every day. She'd taken full advantage of the Ostian army, selling her goods to them at exceedingly higher prices every day as her stock ran dry. The prices had been so inflated that Robin couldn't afford to buy a decent sword at a reasonable from her store.

The sellsword Gregor would talk a lot with the khans. Robin heard about how the three of them would drink every single night. Rumor had it that the mercenary was an old friend of Basilio's. He also had heated conversations with Stahl about food from around the world, saying that he had traveled all over and tasted about every dish imaginable.

Lastly, and the newest member of the Shepherds, was the meek girl Olivia. As a dancer, she could lift the spirits of anyone watching, revitalizing them and making them push themselves harder during training. The idea that dance could have such an effect had interested Robin since he'd first seen Ninian do the same thing as well as Nils playing his flute. He knew that she would be a great asset to have for the battle to come, but talking to her turned out to be a difficult task as she, like Florina, was extremely meek. Thus, he was surprised to learn that she had befriended both Panne and Tharja in a few days. She would also dance at time with Virion at the edge of camp, though Robin never pried about it.

But for all the good things that were going on in camp, there was a big one. Being the only one that knew how all three armies operated and had the most knowledge of the terrain, Robin was in charge of all the logistics, from resupplying and coordinating their movements, to deciding where best to camp and work on a training schedule. He ran through so much ink during a handful of days that he was forced to borrow bottles from anyone that had any.

The added workload meant that his free time was almost nonexistent. The only reason he had a chance to get to know their new members and catch up with the old ones was because he couldn't eat his meal in his tent with all the scrolls scattered everywhere. His sleeping schedule took a hit because of it, cutting it by half. Likewise, he hadn't had a chance to talk with Lyn as he had before. It didn't help that because of Florina's arrival, she had returned to sleep in her usual tent for the time being, as the two of them had much to catch up with. It was better that way. Looking at him scribbling away during the long hours of the night before bed couldn't be fun for anyone. Heck, it wasn't fun for him either!

Though it was hard on him, the tactician never complained about it. He took all the responsibilities without a second thought. If it meant that they could get the war over with quicker, he would sign himself up for even more tasks, even if that meant only sleeping two hours a night and catching up one whatever sleep he needed while they were on the move.

The war counsels got considerably longer each passing day. Despite the size of Chrom's tent, which they were still using to hold all important meetings, it felt overcrowded. The reason was simple: too many important people. The Khans and Raimi representing Regna Ferox, Hector, Kent, and Oswin representing Ostia. Fiora, though she was part of the Ostian forces, lead Ilia's 5th wing, which meant she had to coordinate her troops too. Matthew, managing their scouts, also had to be present, though he was also part of Ostia. And then from Ylisse there was Frederick, Robin—therefore Lyn too—Lissa, and Chrom. The upside was that they were respectful of each other, allowing everyone to voice their concerns and to help make a better plan.

At the end of each counsel, Robin would make sure to give any new maps to everyone that needed them or to make notes on those that they already had. It was tedious work, but someone had to do it.

Robin sighed as he gathered up the maps and other scrolls they had used for the latest counsel. It looked like their plan was solid. All important decisions regarding the coming battle later that day had been made. All they had to do was to execute them to perfection and hope that the Plegian army didn't have anything hidden down their sleeve to turn the tables on them.

Though he would never admit it, the truth was that he was nervous. He was confident on his plan and on their troops. He had practically come up with a hundred solution for what if's that ranged from change in weather to a sudden two-fold reinforcement. Still, there were too many variables that no one could calculate. While the appearance of Hector and the others was a welcome sight for sore eyes, it also opened up a pandora's box. If an army the size of Ostia's had been able to cross over and find the tactician, couldn't the Fang or some other enemy do the same thing? If it were the case, it could be catastrophic for the war effort.

He was snapped back to reality by the feeling of a hand squeezing his shoulder. He thought he saw everyone leave the tent before, but was surprised to see that Lyn was standing there looking at him in slight concern. He stared at her for a minute, not saying anything. Only then did he notice that he'd been nibbling at the nail on his thumb again, something that he'd catching himself doing more often the past few days.

Lowering his hand, he smiled at the nomad. "Is something on your mind, Lyn? You're not feeling nervous or anything, are you?"

He was trying to dispel her concern by feigning ignorance as to why she had approached him. Her eyes told him that nerves were the last thing on her mind. It was a look he'd seen many times before, especially back in Elibe.

She shook her head, her lips forming a straight line. "I should be the one asking you that, Mark," she said, squeezing his shoulder just a bit more. "You haven't been acting as yourself lately. At first I thought that the others showing up had something to do with it—knowing how you and Hector can be at times. But you've also started to look more pale every day. Not to mention that you haven't been eating all that much lately…"

Of course she would be the one to notice all that. Robin had to guess that she had been keeping an eye on him. He looked away from her, finding the ground to be very interesting as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You said there was no need to mention it but you still-"

"Mark…" Hearing his old name, he turned to look at her once again. "I know how you get during times like these. It's not the first time we've gone through something like this, you know. The other's might have dismissed it back then, but I could always tell… That's why I would always try to talk to you before a big fight. But this is a big army—bigger than any we've been a part of before. You are stretching yourself thin. At this rate you won't have the energy to fight when the time comes."

"Once we rescue the Exalt and this war is over I can-"

She shook her head again, her hair swaying from side to side. This time, she didn't stare at him with concern or sweetly. She was trying to stare him down. Robin couldn't help but feel helpless. "No. You need to get some rest now. When we depart, you'll get on one of the wagons and sleep. I'll wake you up before we get near the capital."

"But how are you guys-"

"We have the maps you made for us," she reminded him. "The very detailed maps you've been working on daily?"

"But what if there's-"

"We've run through many scenarios already, Mark. We'll be fine."

Robin had lost the battle... Or he could pretend…

He let out a sigh, smiling at his lover once again. "Okay, you win this time, Lyn. I'll get on a wagon and rest."

Lyn nodded, satisfied with the results. "Then I will see you after you wake. I will take care of your tent, so don't worry about it. I know where you have everything. You just focus on relaxing."

"Thank you, Lyn."

Lyn kissed him on the cheek before she walked out of the tent. He really was thankful to have someone like her by his side. Even to that day he kept on asking himself what he had done to deserve someone like her. But as much as he cared and admired her, there were still things for him to do. He would get in the cart, lay down in case she checked in on him, yes, but he would be-

"Oh, and before I forget," Lyn said as she popped her head back into the tent, startling Robin. "Don't think you can get away with using your Mind Links. Canas, Miriel, and Tharja may not know how to use it themselves, but they've told me they can perceive when you use it. And don't worry about telling Chrom and the others. I will take care of it."

She knew him better than he had expected, he realized. Not that it was a bad thing. He knew that she was looking out for him, as she always had been. With no way around it, he gave in, nodding. This time the greenette had sealed her victory.

Once he had collected all the documents, he reluctantly handed everything over to Lyn before she escorted him to one of the wagons. He hopped on the back and was surprised to see that it was all ready for him. There was enough space for him to lay down flat on his back. There was even a blanket and a small sack for him to use as a pillow. It was a little frightening to think that Lyn had been that confident in convincing him to get some rest.

Taking off his cloak to not wrinkle it, he set it aside with care. It had seen him through a lot, he thought, as he inspected the different stitch work that been done on it to repair it from the many slashes and burns he had suffered since setting off from Plegia, not to mention a few discolorations from the chemicals used to remove mainly blood stains that were almost impossible to spot if it wasn't inspect closely. Who would have thought that he would be using it for battle? He certainly wasn't. It was, after all, a piece of clothing that belonged to his birth mother. Thinking about that significance, it saddened him to see the coat in such a sorry state when it had been in an almost pristine condition when his parents had first shown it to him when he was but a kid.

"I should really take care of this better, huh?" This was as close to a family heirloom as he had, given that he didn't have anything else that he could related to both his birth mother and to his parents. Perhaps, if everything went well in the future, he could pass it on to his own child. The thought brought a smile to his face as he set down the cloak besides him. As he laid down, hands underneath his head to act as support, he could already imagine a young girl wearing that cloak. It would probably be too big, but cloaks were meant to fit loosely. Yes, a cheerful girl with short green hair… Wait… The thought had come to Robin so naturally that he didn't think twice about the implications of it. He could feel his cheeks heating up by the second. He felt embarrassed to think so far ahead when he wasn't even married to Lyn yet. Not only that, but he couldn't recall ever telling her he loved her… He did love her, of that he was sure. So why was it that he hadn't told her? It seemed like an important piece of information to tell the person one was courting...

"I get some time to relax and I start thinking about this sort of things…" He closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep, but it kept bugging him, even as he tossed and turned. The caravan was eventually formed—he could hear the movement of troops and their horses—and they were got on their way. The gentle sway of the cart was comforting. With time passing, his eyelids became heavier and heavier, but sleep still escaped the tactician. It was only until he decided that he would tell Lyn the next chance he got that sleep finally took him.

He guessed he hadn't slept for long when he opened his eyes and look out the back of the wagon to see that the caravan was still moving. It seemed that because he had been adjusting his schedule, his body was denying him any more rest than he already had. Or perhaps it had been his mind trying to remind him that there were important tasks to be done.

"Slept well, Master Robin?" The sudden words sent a shiver down Robin's back, more because he hadn't been expecting them than because he was afraid whom the voice belonged to. Sitting up, he turned to face the only other Plegian in the army. Tharja was sitting there, hugging her knees, staring at him with a blank expression. "It's good to see you getting some rest outside of your tent."

The tactician arched an eyebrow, not sure how he should take the comment. Tharja only giggled to herself as she kept on looking at him. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "Tharja? What are you doing here? I thought Lyn had asked everyone not to disturb be."

"Ah, yes… Her. Well, I can be a very...persuasive woman," she said, looking at the young Shepherd that had the misfortune of being the driver of the wagon. Donnel didn't react to her words at all, instead focusing on the road ahead. "You don't have to worry either about anyone finding out about our little...rendezvous. I've cast a hex on the wagon. As long as I no one else enters or one of us leaves, no one will be able to hear what we say."

Robin narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure what we could possibly talk about that would require the need of a hex like this one."

"No need to be like that, Master. After all, it's only you and me here, like it used to be." Before they had been found by Chrom, Robin would wake up with Tharja looking at him too. Perhaps that was why he hadn't jumped back when he noticed it was her with him. The black mage didn't have the best reputation amongst the Shepherds, though saying she was disliked would be a lie too. She just made the others be cautious, as she would hex anyone that got on her wrong side. Still, didn't didn't stop everyone from approaching her repeatedly. Miriel would often talk with her and even Virion would attempt courting her, like any other woman. "I thought it would be good for us to talk. In private."

"Don't tell me you are having doubts about fighting now, are you? I know I dragged you into this. If you want to sit out this last fight, then by all means, tell me and I'll make sure it's done."

"Why would I be having doubts? You may not know this, Master, but there wasn't anything left in me in Plegia even before we escaped. I was...given to Validar, in a sense. I was meant to be one of his tools, much like you were. So no, I have no doubts about fighting or killing our countrymen. At the end of the day, I'll be happy to be on the winning side."

Tharja seemed to have much more confidence in their plan than even Robin did. He had to wonder if the other Shepherds felt the same way or if it was only. Though, the fact the reason behind her confidence disturbed him. Perhaps that was because he had been thinking that she, like him, had people in Plegia that she still cared about. But if she had been given to Validar as if she were an object, then the brunette could understand why she didn't care about Plegia at all.

"What do you mean by being on the winning side...?"

The raven snickered, rolling her eyes while smirking at him. "Whoever side you take, that will be the winning side. That's what I mean. Afterall, how could an army with a tactician with the power of Grima lose?"

Robin's heart stopped. It was as if someone had suddenly doused him with icy-cold water. There were very few people that knew about his supposed connection to Grima. Having her say it so nonchalantly was the last thing he had been expecting her to say. How can she…?

Tharja approached him, crawling towards him, closing the distance between them. He leaned back as she brought her face a few inches away from his. "Any competent black mage should be able to tell that you aren't like the rest of us, Master Robin. You have an...affinity that makes you unique. I noticed it when we first met. The feeling it gives off is enough to make my body quiver! But it wasn't until Marth's second attempt that I understood why that was. Oh, or should I call her...Lucina?"

"...Where did you hear that name, Tharja?"

"No need to be so aggressive, Master. After all, I was only looking out for you. But if you must know, I followed you the night you went to interrogate her on your own. Not that you would be able to see me. I used a hex on myself that allowed me to move without being noticed."

"So you heard her name then."

"Yes, though the first time I heard it was when Prince Chrom and his little knight interrogated her."

Robin pushed her back, feeling more and more uncomfortable not only by the distance between them but also by her words. He rubbed his temple in an attempt to keep himself focused. If Lucina had confessed everything to Chrom as she had to him, wouldn't Chrom confront him about it? Well, going by what the prince had said before, it didn't seem like he had any knowledge of it. But when Chrom had interrogated Lucina, Frederick had been there too. The bluenette could have dismissed the allegations as an attempt to justify the attempt on his tactician's life, but Frederick was always cautious. However unlikely a lead might be, he would investigate further. And yet, the knight hadn't mentioned anything about it, nor hinted at it.

"You don't have to be so troubled, Master," said Tharja, looking at him with a half smile. "Hexes are useful, and as you already know, I am very well versed with them. Casting a memory hex on them so that they wouldn't remember their conversation with the little princess-to-be was no challenge for me."

"You are saying that it is because of that hex that I never heard anything about this?"

"Yes. And you should be thankful for it too, Master. Had you seen their faces as they came out of the dungeon that day you wouldn't be so comfortable standing side by side with them right now. But that was for the best, yes? Like this, we can end this war and decide on our next move from there."

"Next move? What are you talking about?"

"Well-"

Before Tharja could elaborate, one of the flaps on the back of the wagon was pulled. Standing there was Florina, looking confused. She first looked at Robin, then Tharja, then back at Robin. The brunette was thankful for the interruption, not sure if he wanted to hear what Tharja was going to say next. He still didn't know if there was any truth behind everything she had said either.

"Is everything okay, Florina?" Robin asked after Florina had been standing there for a whole minute fidgeting.

"Ah! Um… I, ah… I'm sorry for interrupting, Lord Mark! It's just… um… Lord Hector and Lord Chrom have asked for your presence at the front of the caravan," she said, struggling to get the words out, but doing a much better than when all those years ago. She could even hold eye contact for longer, though she would nervously glance over at Tharja every now and again. "W-We are approaching the capital."

"Then I shouldn't make them wait," he said as he got up, having to hunch over to avoid hitting the canopy. As he moved towards the back to get off, Florina took a few steps back. Once off, he turned to look at Tharja again, who was still sitting inside the wagon. "The fight will begin shortly, Tharja. You should get yourself ready. We can continue this conversation once Emmeryn is safe and Gangrel is six feet under."

Nodding to Florina, the two started making their way towards the front of the caravan. Along the way, Robin could spy the their troops getting ready for combat, be it by checking their equipment or doing warm-up exercises.

The walk was, not surprisingly, a quiet one. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't have bothered Robin, but with everything Tharja had told him, he felt uneasy To distract himself, he tried talk with Florina, hard as that may be. "We've known each other for a long time, haven't we, Florina?"

As expected, she yelped. He decided it was best to let her take a second to talk instead of him filling the empty air if she was ever to work past her fear of men. He had given up on having a conversation when she finally answered. "We travelled together with the others for over a year, Lord Mark…"

"Isn't it strange that you call me "Lord" even though I wasn't one back then?"

"Um…" She began to fidget, looking down at the ground and twiddling her thumbs.

"What I'm trying to say is that there is no need to call me by title. Just Robin or Mark will do. I'm not different than Lyn in that matter. I don't feel like I ever did anything that would make me deserve the title, despite what Hector and Eliwood might say."

But before she had the chance to respond, they had reached the front. There, standing shoulder to shoulder, where Chrom, Hector, the Khans, Lyn, and Farina; all of them gazing out into the distance in the direction of the capital. To Robin, the sight of the Plegian capital wasn't that special, but to outsiders, seeing it would be a grand sight.

"So those are the remains of Grima, you say?" Hector asked.

"Yes. After the Hero King defeated the Fell Dragon and founded Ylisstol, followers of Grima came together on its remains to make what is now known as Plegia. I guess making their capital on the carcass of their god is meant to be very symbolic," said Chrom.

"Indeed," Robin interjected as he and Florina approached the others. Seeing their faces, he could tell what those from Elibe where thinking when they turned to look at him. If that was the dragon that the Fang was after and it was somehow connected to the tactician as the rumor had it, then the situation was to be taken seriously. Not that Hector hadn't, considering he had brought an entire army. "I did mark it on the maps I gave you, no?"

"You did, but this is...something else," said Farina as she look at the colossal skeleton. "When someone mentions a dragon, I always think back to that battle six years ago. A dragon is something I can always picture in my head to have a certain size, but this," she waved her hand towards the city, "this isn't even realistic. How could that thing fly?"

"Those questions can be answered at a better time," said Hector. "More importantly, we are ready to begin the assault, and it looks like they are too. I can see the enemy forces gathered all around the city."

"One of their scouts must have spotted our new numbers for them to gather up like that," said Flavia. "Not that it'll make a difference. It only means we have to cut down a few more Plegians."

"I agree," Robin said as he nodded. "Their increase in numbers won't make a difference to our plan. All we need is to hold them off long enough for us to rescue Emmeryn and get out of there. As much as I want to see Gangrel dead, we shouldn't risk the safety of the Exalt. For now, we should all get ready. We are leaving our supplies here hitting them head on."

"You want to begin the attack now?" Basilio asked, one of his eyebrows raised as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a ballsy move, lad. There is still a good distance between us and them. We could move closer and setup camp there."

"We could, but if we keep going, by the time we decide to make a basecamp, they will be on us. From here to the capital is all down a slight slope. We have the advantage of a slightly higher ground. If they decide to engage us halfway, they will tire out faster than we do. And with the archers we have, we can considerably cut their numbers before we meet in the middle. They will try to lure us in closer in order to save energy. They will also have the advantage of high ground there, with sentries along their walls. We may be close to even in number of troops for this battle, but we are a disadvantage because we need to siege their city too."

"Had those words come out of anyone else, I would have questioned them more, but given that it's you, I'll take them as true," said Flavia. "Then let us waste no more time. Chrom, Hector, I wish you both luck out there."

"Luck be with you two, Khan Flavia, Khan Basili," said Hector.

"We'll meet again once this is all over," said Chrom with a smile.

"Ha! Of course we are! And when we do, you better be ready to celebrate! A party paid with Plegia's coin."

The group split off, each one going their own way to inform their men about to be ready for battle within the hour. Except for Robin, that is. He had stayed behind to take another look at the city. It was finally time to end it all. Robin would do anything in his power to make sure Emmeryn returned safely to Ylisstol. There was no turning back. With Chrom carrying the Emblem as a shield, this battle would be the deciding factor for the war. Either they would come out victorious or they would have a broken army and nation.

"It's strange to see you walking about without your cloak, Mark." Robin smiled as he turned to look over at Lyn, who stood by his side. "The armor should do it's job protecting you, but I am curious. Are you not going to wear the cloak?"

With everything that had happened on the wagon, Robin had forgotten he taken of the cloak and set it aside. He had half a mind to go back there and collect it, but when he remembered what he had been thinking about in the wagon, he thought it was best to leave it this once.

"It's insurance," he said offhandedly.

"Insurance?"

"If I leave it here then I have to come back and get it, don't you think?" He smirked, earning a chuckle from the greenette. "With everything that's happened lately, I've been thinking a lot about what I will do once this war is over. Just because there is peace between Ylisse and Plegia doesn't mean that my life will go back to normal, whatever that means. I still need to think about the Fang and what they want with me. There's Marth to deal with too. It seems like I won't get much rest for the foreseeable future."

Lyn intertwined her fingers with his, holding his hand tightly. Small as a gesture as it was, it did comfort Robin greatly. "You are not alone on this," she told him. "You have me with you. I will always do my best to help you. The same could be said about Hector and the rest. They came all this way because of a rumor. And you shouldn't forget about Chrom, the Shepherds, and even the khans. You may not know them for long, but I can see that there is an incredible link between you and everyone around you. So don't shoulder all these by yourself. Let us help you."

"You are right…" He could feel his smile growing. "Though we should take care of what is in front of us before anything else. After everything's said and done, then I'll think talk with Chrome about all of this. I would also like to talk to you too about something important."

"Couldn't we talk now?"

"I don't think it's the right time for it right now. Once this is over, meet me in my tent. We can take our time then."

* * *

Short author noted because my brain is kinda fried right now.

I know that I've said a couple of times that this would be the chapter that ends this arc. However, as I was writing the breakdown, I noticed that I wanted to do too much for what is supposed to be a shorter chapter than what I normally do. So I decided to have this chapter be all the setup and the next will be the fight.

I will say that this chapter changed a whole lot from what I was originally planning. I'm pretty happy with the ideas that I've been getting since I started writing it, but because of it, it'll push the arc I had in mind back in favor of a new one I came up with. I'll explain more about this in the coming chapters as to not spoil the many surprises that are to come.

Anyways, on to reviews!

 **Whatstoknow** -I'm glad you liked it! I was a bit on the fence about, so I'm happy that you liked it. As for Fates, I'm not entirely sure. The thing is, I only knew the basics of the story before the game came out this past Friday. Because of that, I had planned to make a small reference to the game, but not anything more. Now that I'm playing it, I see a few ways I can reference it, but I'm not sure how I would bring in those characters if I do decide to link that world too. More than anything I need to think of a good struggle for that to happen. Once I finish the game once of twice I might get some ideas, but then I would have to think about new arcs too and if I want them to run simulatniously with the events I already have planned or if I should conclude the Awakening story and then start with something relating to Fates.

 **Sugouxxx** -Not gonna lie, Legault x Isadora has always made sense to me. That could happen. But then, I'm thinking that it would be cool for characters from Rella no Ken marrying Awakening characters would be cool. Just imagine the drama! What if, random example, Nah came back to see that Nowi and Kent are married, but in her timeline Nowi married Gregor. Drama, I tell ye! And Jaffar? Don't worry about it, I have stuff planned for him and Nino in the next arc.

 **Anthiques thief** -Good thing that all that money is coming out of Chrom's pocket, hehehe.

 **animegamerlover2** -By Fiona I'm guessing you mean Florina, right? I'm toying with the idea for now. I'll either flesh it out or drop it in the coming chapters.

 **XenoEmblem4TW** -There are a ton of characters. Gotta start killing some of them soon. I'll write all the names on a random generator and have it pick who dies! Mwahahaha! Cool! Very different name than before, but I guess it works xD

 **starlightkitsune2178** -There are many things that man should not play with. High on that list are portals... unless you have are a test subject with an orange jumpsuit. Won't have to wait much longer for that. Unless I think of something crazy between now and when I start writing the next chapter, the fate of Emmeryn will be shown on the next chapter! Oh, yes! Cynthia and Owain are going to be a lot of fun. Much more when Roy and Eliwood show up. You can add Lissa to that list too.

 **Saraku** -Thank you very much. It's been a lot of work trying to get all of this to work out as it has with just a handful of characters, so reading something like that makes me look forward to the struggle that is to come once everyone shows up xD Mark being serious all the time had more to do with how his mental state was back when he was in Elibe as well as him not really understanding that he was having a real effect on the lives of those around him. More of it will be explained once I do more flashbacks. As for the lords being older siblings to him, that wouldn't work here, since he was much older than they were when he was in Elibe. Now most of them are older than him, but that won't change the dynamic in their relationships that heavily. Like I told starlightkitsune up there, you'll get all your Emmeryn answers on the next chapter! I just hope I don't disappoint that many people with what I want to do, though I know that inevitably someone won't like my decisions, haha.

 **Yellowclover** -It's fine, you re here now, so we're all good c: I did... but it was a mistake. I didn't notice it until someone else pointed it out. I was too lazy to change it... 3 As much as I like some characters from FE8, for some reason I can't remember the story all that much... Plus, the load of all those extra characters? I calculated before that I would have a little over 100 characters with the games I'm including so far, so adding more would push that to 150~ So for the time being, that is something that I don't touch even with a five foot poll. I know I did some mentions of who characters are interacting with on this chapter, but there are a few gags that I'm keeping on my sleeve for the right time. You are right to say that I want to do something silly with Olivia and Florina for sure. Makes me think that I should do a bonus chapter at some point with a tone of those mini scenarios. Could be fun! The origin of Canas is something that even now I'm not too sure on. I read all his supports and checked the wiki time and time again but they never said where he was from. I just took the one that was kinda hinted at. Though if you know that he is from Ertrutia for sure, then I'll change that for sure. Yes, Canas and his wife die in a blizzard like you said, but it's not said when it happens. I kinda want to play with that blizzard in the future. For now, he might or might not die in the same way. That'll be up to future me to decide. A want to feature a lot of the attacks on the battle to come, so you bet your butt that you'll see at least a couple of the ones you mentioned. You know, I have so much stuff coming in the next 5 or so chapters that it gets me all excited. From the things you mentioned, the time police will show up for sure. They'll have guns and stuff. It'll be epic!

 **werehogdog** -Ch16. Maybe that's what she wanted you to think! Nah. She was just being overly emotional and (maybe) being manipulated(?) Ch18. Things are about to get real, just you wait.

 **Tumberboy12** -They really do have a lot of similarities. Then again, it's probably just a coincidence. It's fun to think about.

 **Defcon Deceiver** -First of, let me start by saying how happy I was to read you review because you touched on a lot of points that I've been pushing for in little ways to hint at stuff. Now, from the start: Sully attitude stems from her own past with Plegia. I know I haven't delved to far into it yet, but I assure you that it is to come. I have a bunch of stuff planned revolving around both Sully and discrimination of Plegians as a whole in the future. The trouble I'm having is when these will be featured in the future. With me pushing the original arc I had planned back for now, I'll have to think if I want to bring those elements that will help explain Sully's actions more or just keep you guys waiting some more. Now, also consider that she is looking out Chrom above anyone else, be it because of love or because she wants to keep her leader safe. She may be the only one that continuously shows her bad side to Robin, but both Frederick and Vaike have shown before that they don't trust him because he is Plegian. As for Galeforce and whatnot, that is irrelevant for this story. Same for stats. Their performance will depend on them as a soldier, not on who their parents are. On to your next point (LynxRobin): The for their children will be similar to what you've said. Only thing I'm considering right now is how many children they would have. I've played with he idea of them having twins, two kids of different age, or twins and another kid. The Valm are will be affected a ton by all the changes that have happened so far. In the game, Walhart started his conquest a lot sooner than he did during Lucina's timeline because of changes in the circumstances between the past and the future. This will be no different. How much time will pass between the Plegian war and Walhart showing up is still up in the air at this point. For the events of FE6, I'm thinking or running everything simultaneously, which will make for a fuck-ton of content to come, though this might give you the wrong idea. You'll have to wait and see what I mean for this one. The whole Tharja thing you mentioned was one of my favorite part about this review because I had just finished the scene with her on the wagon when this popped up. Don't worry, she will be showing up a lot more now that I have her directly involved with an ongoing plot point. I'm even considering having Noir from Lucina's timeline be Robin's child out-of-wed. Only future Tharja and Noir would know this, though. It's an interesting way to shake things up a little. To your final point: you bring up a few really interesting points. With light magic being correlated to the religious figures of each world, would they be, in essence, the same type of magic? That's something I hadn't considered before. I'll have to keep it in mind in the future. Thanks for bringing that up! Lastly, I just want to say that if anything that I said up there offended you in any way, I'm sorry. I did not mean it to sound harsh or anything. I welcome all criticism equally. And I know that there are problems with this story overall. I'm always trying to address them in one chapter or another, but when you have a cast as big as this one, trying to develop every single character is difficult. Inevitably, some fall through the cracks until I notice "oh, I haven't said anything about this one for a while, wonder where they are." I mostly mention this because you'll keep seeing ti in the future, be it intentional or not.

 **Also Sprach Brooks** -Thank you very much! For the Sully, thing, check out the first bit of the response I made to Defcon Deceiver. You brought up a very similar point that pushes the word count by a ton if I copy paste it :S As for Tharja, she'll be showing up a lot more, especially in this coming arc. The problem I had with her was not having too much of a concrete idea of how I could bring her to the front some more instead of just showing up like other characters (Virion, Lon'qu, and even Miriel, for example). Inspiration finally hit me for her. I just need to keep that alive for a few chapters to roll out everything I want and hopefully get new ideas for her. For updates, this one varies a lot, to be honest. Sometimes I'll post a couple of chapters in a week, others once a month. That's because I have a few other stories that I work on all at the same time and because of IRL things. Right now, I'm aiming to get this one to a biweekly upload and then maybe push it to weekly. Having shorter chapters helps with that. It also depends on inspiration. There are times where I get stuck for daaaaays without making any progress at all. Those suck... But hey, I'll try, so that's something, right?


	21. And so we retaliated

I took my sweet time on this one. Sorry about that. Mostly that came from preparing a move. You would be surprised how time consuming that is when you have to sell all but 4 boxes worth of stuff and sell all the stuff you've accumulated in 5-6 years time. I'm not even done yet, and I'm suppose to leave in five days...

Anyways, the other reason this took a bit longer was because I went back on my word of making these shorter... I just couldn't leave it be a 6-8k chapter! So much going on! It turned out to be 11k, and that's after I compressed down a ton of stuff and scrapped unnecessary ideas.

I want to thank everyone who's stuck to this story since the beginning. It's so cool to see it breaking the 100 follower mark (110 when his is published) and 75 favorites (78 to be exact) not to mention the 25.5k chapters read since it was first published.

That being said, I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Also hope it measures up to everyone's expectations.

Remember to leave a review to let me know what you thought of it, be it things you liked or didn't like. If you like the story, put it in your favorites and/or follow it too! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 21: And so we retaliated_

A battle consisting of over ten thousand soldiers was well on underway. On the side of Ylisse, more than a thousand Feroxi warriors lead by Flavia were hitting the Plegians from the west. Even with lesser numbers, the Feroxi were a force to be reckoned with. They could easily cut down at least three enemies each, which would wither down the number of enemies significantly. Also on the side of Ylisse, just over three thousand soldiers from Elibe were taking on the Plegians on the east, making it difficult for enemy reinforcements to come in and aid defend their capital. And on the very center of it all were the Shepherds, a small militia of misfits that numbered at twenty-seven, and the eight old friends of Robin's.

Everywhere the sound of steel clashing, grunting, and death could be heard. Fireballs, lightning bolts, and gust of cutting wind were being flung from left and right. The arrows that flew in the sky were impossible to spot from the ground because of the aerial battle being fought between the Plegian wyvern riders and the 5th Wing of Ilia's pegasus knights.

From the top of a rock formation Emmeryn watched the battle unfold, being forced to pray to Naga that her brother and sister and everyone else that came for her sake would come out of it unharmed. She also watched helplessly as some of Fiora's troops tried to approach her but were quickly driven away by archers or wyvern riders.

These were all things that the tactician knew about not only because he was in the middle of it, but also because of his ability to scan the battlefield as well as being able to communicate with everyone he had established mind-links with before the battle started. All this while still fighting in the front lines along everyone else—a borrowed sword from a fallen enemy in one hand and his trusty tome on the other, he cut down enemy after enemy so they could keep moving forward.

Fortunately, they had found an ally amidst the chaos. A war monk by the name of Libra—a man that could be easily mistaken to be a woman—had been fighting from the start. It had been Chrom who spotted him and convinced him to join their ranks for the time being. The man agreed, for which Robin was glad. Now only had they gained another weapon on their side, but also another healer. And with the size of the battle, having another healer was a welcome sight. As it was, Lissa, Maribelle, and Serra were struggling to keep up with the injuries the other Shepherds were suffering. This also meant that each of them would be responsible for a small portion of the cake.

To his left he could see Chrom using his new shield, the Fire Emblem, to block an attack before easily piercing his enemy's chainmail with a mighty thrust of Falchion. Seeing him in battle risking the Emblem inspired many around him. They all knew that there was no room for them to recover if they lost this battle, as Robin had drilled into them many times over. But the Emblem being on the field was also meant as a way to taunt the Mad King into playing his cards too early, which he did. His troops were unorganized, making them easy to fight against in terms of strategy, though they still held the advantage in numbers.

To Robin's right Hector slammed down his axe into the ground besides him, practically making the ground shake, before bringing it back up to cleave off the head of his opponent in one clean swoop. The Great Lord's appearance on the battlefield had shaken the Plegians not because they recognized him—Robin didn't think anyone would assume Hector would be linked to the man of legend—but because he didn't seem fazed by the hits that others landed on him, instead using the opportunity to dispose of his enemy.

Behind Robin, Lyn dodged one attack after another, taking her time to hit her enemies with a precise attack with Mani Katti. Be it a knight, a swordsman, or a mage, she always cut them all down at incredible speed, be it by piercing thick plated armor or a slash to cut down a lancer. Her way of fighting was reminiscent of the last time Robin had seen her fight back in Elibe. She wasn't holding back anymore. She even took out Sol Katti, wielding a blade on each hand, so they could move quicker towards the Exalt.

All the Shepherds were putting in their best performance by far. Miriel and Ricken hurled wind spells towards approaching wyvern riders. Gaius parried an attack from a swordsman to make an opening for Virion to shoot. Stahl and Sully weaved in and out between soldiers as to cut down the approaching cavalry. Isadora and Frederick moved their steeds around the perimeter to prevent too many enemies approaching at once. Legault and Matthew scurried in the shadows to deliver fatal blows to unsuspecting troops. Nowi was spitting out fireballs in her dragon form faster than any competent mage could cast them. Wherever one would look, one of the Shepherds was out performing themselves.

And Robin wasn't falling far behind. Whenever possible he would use a variety of spells to hit enemy from a distance or to deal with heavily-armored ones. Though he was the least proficient with a sword from those that carried them except for perhaps Olivia, he was handling himself well enough. That's not to say he wasn't competent with the blade, but it just went to show how good everyone else was, after all, they had years or even decades training with them while he had only picked it up recently.

But just because things were looking up for them, that didn't mean that they could let their guard down. Robin already knew that Plegian reinforcements were on their way, lead by none other than General Mustafa, a man they couldn't take lighting. Should his force reach the capital before they rescued Emmeryn it would throw not a pebble, but a large stone into their gears. That was the reason why Robin kept trying to push them forward, sending orders to not only the Shepherds, but also those fighting in the east, the west, and also to Khan Basilio, who was still trying to break out Phila and her knights.

Their energy was another one of the tactician's concerns. Thought they were all extraordinary fighters that could be said to in peak physical condition, fighting for hours on end took its toll on their bodies. Most everyone were breathing heavily and/or sweating from the constant fighting. This was what lead Robin to have people form up in small groups. Worst case scenario, if someone needed to take a second to breath, the rest of their group could defend them. It was a strategy that had been working out perfectly, but no one knew for how much longer it would last.

"We need to get the last of the archers and mages _now_ ," said Robin after casting Waste yet again, bringing down another caster. "Sumia and Cordelia won't be able to reach Emmeryn otherwise."

"We can't ignore the enemy general," said Hector with gritted teeth as he faced off against yet another axeman. Pushing his enemy aside to strike a mortal blow, he wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. "Even if we get Lady Emmeryn back, we still need to leave this place with our heads on our shoulders."

"Agreed," said Chrom. "No matter how you look at it, we need to deal with the general to get closer. There are only so many troops he can direct while out of combat. With the chaos that's already going on, if we can get rid of him, the archers will be much easier to deal with."

"There's a wall of enemies we have to go through before we can reach the man," Lyn pointed out as she brought her sword down on another Plegian. "There's nothing we can do other than deal with them first. That is unless you can think of an opening we can use, Mark."

Robin gave it a thought as he checked what stood between them and the general. He could see several opening they could take advantage of, but in their current group, it would be too difficult for them to make use of them. "There might be a way, but the window of opportunity is small. If we have Lon'qu, Oswin, Donnel, and Tharja Provide cover for us, we could get within range. Then Lyn and I can make a breach in their defences, leaving Chrom and Hector to deal with the general. Question is, can you two do it quick enough that you can head back before the enemy regroups?"

"I feel almost insulted that you have to ask that, Mark," said Hector as he smirked. "You said that we traveled together only a few months back for you, yes? Then you should know what I'm capable of. And with the addition of Chrom, the fight is as good as won."

"You flatter me, Lord Hector, but I would rather not be over confident. I've learned one thing from fighting against Plegians and that is to never underestimate them," said Chrom. "They always have some sort of trick up their sleeve. Having their general be this exposed could be one of those tricks. They might be trying to lure us in close for some sort of counterattack."

"The saying is high risk, high reward."

"I can't see any telltale signs that there are any traps in our near future," Robin said. "Worse come to worst, we can have some of Fiora's knight bring you back to our line. I'll send word to everyone else. On my go, we move. Lyn and I will take the lead. As soon as you see the opening, you two go in for the kill." There was no need to ask if they understood, as it was obvious that they already knew about how serious the situation was. So without any more delay, Robin signaled everyone to move. He used his dark magic to catch the attention of the front lines. When all the enemies turned to face him, Lyn jumped over him, landing in front of approaching enemies. She broke into a run, looking ready to take on the whole if she had to. Robin was picking off those he could with his spells, waiting for the right time to give the order to Chrom and Hector.

" _Now, move!_ " By the time the Plegian soldiers noticed that Chrom and Hector had run past them, it was too late for them to catch up, especially when Robin and Lyn were spreading chaos through their ranks. Even if they were two against many, the synergy that the two had was hard to beat. Between her speed with the sword and his strength with magic, the they were bringing down soldier after soldier as if it was child's play.

And before they knew it, Chrom had pierced the general's plate armor with Falchion, just as Robin had expected. They had successfully driven Gangrel's army to a corner where the only way to come out alive for them would be to surrender. Getting Emmeryn back and to safety was no longer a desire, but a reality. All they had to do was have someone pick her up, seeing as the enemy had lost most of their archers and mages.

As if on queue, up in the air, the figures of the Ylissean Pegasus Knights could be seen approaching. Basilio had been successful in releasing them from the prison! The wyvern riders that were between them and the Exalt would fall against the combined might of Ilian and Ylissean pegasus knights. Robin couldn't help but smirk at seeing everything go down within his window of expectations.

"Gangrel!" Chrom called out. There wasn't even a need to defend Chrom at that point as there was no one to oppose him or take him by surprise. He looked over to the rock formation where the Mad King stood behind Emmeryn. Besides him was the white-haired woman they had met before, Aversa, though Chrom only cared about speaking with the king himself."Your army has been beaten. Reinforcements won't be able to aid you enough to guarantee you a victory. You can still stop this bloodshed! Return Emmeryn to us and surrender yourself to us. I can promise you that no harm will come to your people if you stop this madness here and now."

The king did his signature cackle, which echoed throughout the battlefield. "Your father once used similar words on us, little prince. Except, you know, with a whole more killing of my people," the man said as he walked closer to the edge. "And we both know how _that_ battle ended. _You_ may think you have the upper hand, but _I_ still have cards to play. Show me how you deal with our army, prince!"

"I see you live up to your name… Are you blind? You've been beaten! Spare your people the loss of more of their loved ones! Look around you! It is only a matter of time before the last sword that's pledged to you falls! No one else has to die for this!"

"Then hand me the Fire Emblem! You've, oh, so kindly brought it with you this far, filling it with scratches and staining it with _our_ blood! Give me the emblem and I'll make your death _quick_."

"You are in no position to make demands, Gangrel," Robin interjected, stepping up besides Chrom. Though he had much to tell to the king of his homeland, he had to keep it to himself for the sake of Emmeryn. There could still be an opportunity to end the battle if only he could make Gangrel see that the outcome was already decided. "You've seen one of your own generals fall in front of you! To the east and to the west two more are fighting a losing battle. At this rate, not even Mustafa will be able to bring things back to your favor!"

"That's enough out of you, Turncoat," Gangrel spat in rage. "You have been a pain on my side since Validar first mentioned you. Well, now it's time to remove you from play altogether. Validar may complain, but it's a small price compared to hearing another word out of you. If you think you can defeat me," he turned and whispered something to Aversa, who readied her tome in turn, and then continued, "come and get your Exalt."

With a flick of the woman's wrist, the battlefield began to change. In the space that stood between the Shepherds and the Mad King, Risen began to appear out of thin air, no doubt being summoned by the mysterious woman that stood by the Plegian king. Like their name suggests, they rose from the ground amidst a cloud of purple smoke. Whatever sort of spell had been casted, this was the first time Robin had seen someone call upon Risen, much like Nergal had done with his morphs. Though the enemies in front of them were not as strong as the morphs, they made for it in numbers, mainly the archers. It didn't take a genius to see why so many bow wielders would be summoned. With most of the Plegian archers dead and their wyvern riders barely able to hold off an approach from Fiora's knights, they need them to stop them on their tracks completely.

Gangrel laughed once again, this time sounding much more ominous than before. "Who needs to worry about losing the living when the dead serve just as well? No matter by whose hand, a dead Ylissean is a dead Ylissean, and I want to see… Every. Single. One. Dead! I gave you people one chance to save yourselves, but you forced my hand. Now, die like our people did back then!"

"The archers are aiming for the Pegasus Knights!" Lyn pointed out as they all helplessly watched bowman after bowman take air up to the sky. They all could see it unfold, but they wouldn't be able to reach them before they let loose the first arrow. None the less, Robin got himself ready to prevent the arrows flying.

" _Miriel, Ricken, Tharja, and Virion, move to the front! We need to kill the archers quickly!_ _Florina, Farina, and Fiora, fall back until we deal with the Risen,_ " the tactician ordered, but it could have been too late by the time the flyers listened to him.

"These damn things again?" Hector looked as displeased about the Risen as if he had been fighting them his whole life. He looked behind him and the shouted, "Serra! Canas! It's your turn to pull your weight around here! You know what to do."

"As you say, Lord Hector," said Canas as he approached the front lines and started casting a spell of his own.

"Certainly, Lord Hector," said Serra as she too approached the frontline alongside Canas, much to everyone's surprise. Even Robin found himself quite confused by Serra's actions. She, on the other hand, looked confident. She whispered something under her breath, likely a prayer to Saint Elimine. Her cast was quick; though she was the last to start casting a spell, she was the first to attack. She lifted her staff in the air, the stone that decorated the top of it glowing a radiant yellow-white before turning blue when she pointed the staff at the Risen ahead of them as she yelled out, "Purge!"

Had the targets had been living beings instead of Risen, they would have been in awe at what they were seeing. Robin had forgotten that while there were no combat spells in the school of white magic there, in Elibe that was not the case. Orbs of light began to appear around a small group of Risen. In an instant they began to burst, one by one, causing some sort of lightwave. Light magic combat spells had never been the strongest of spells, but in the case of the Risen, it meant instant annihilation. Where there had been rotting flesh, there was nothing left. Any area of the Risen that had been touched by the light was gone. And before anyone could react, the cheeky priests had already launched a second Purge.

"By the gods…" said a dumbfounded Chrom as he stood there and watched the Risen falling down and becoming nothing more than miasma. "What is she doing?"

"Whatever it is, it's awesome!" said an excited Lissa as she ran towards them, her eyes glued to the pink-haired priestess. "I _really_ want to know she is doing that! She's taking them down by the handful!"

"Those...things. We've encountered them early on when we came here," Hector said as he too looked ahead towards the Risen. "Didn't take long for us to figure out the best way to deal with them, though a steel can kill them as easy as any magic can."

"Does that mean that Canas can do that too?"

Hector shook his head, chuckling. "Quite the opposite."

"Huh?"

"Just look ahead."

Now curious, everyone looked towards the Druid, Robin included. He knew what Canas' repertoire of spells was like, but what he didn't know was which one he would use in a situation like that. _Eclipse would be my guess given the range, but…his stance doesn't look right for it,_ thought the tactician.

Cnas opened his eyes slowly, ready to let his own spell loose. Lifting both of his arms and extending them forward, his cloak began to flutter with the small breeze generated by his spell-casting. "Luna," he said just loud enough for the Shepherds to hear. A huge magic circle—the biggest one Robin had seen in his lifetime—appeared in front of the monocled man. From this, shadow spheres that had to be half as tall as the man came out and formed a circle. They began to rotate, gaining speed with every second that passed until, with a flick of the wrist, they were sent flying towards the Risen. This was not _just_ Luna. It had to be a variation of the spell made by Canas himself for it to act so differently than what Robin had seen in Elibe. Nonetheless, the destructive power of it was unquestionable. The Risen that were hit by any of the spheres were thrown to the ground and quickly vanished.

"Fascinating," said Miriel as she threw a fireball at an oncoming Risen swordsman. "I had read texts which theorized of such spells, though the probability of their existence was essentially null...or so I believed."

"You can dissect those two all you want later, Miriel," said Ricken as he switched from fire spells to thunder spells. "I like the practice and all, but those things are annoying. I rather end this quickly and get back the Exalt."

"Perhaps you would find my archery more entertaining, little Ricken," Viroin said, shooting off another arrow.

"I'm no little anything!"

Slowly but surely, the Shepherds began to inch forward. With the combined might, they were taking care of the Risen much quicker than they ever had before. Looking around, Robin couldn't tell that these people had been fighting for so long already. They all looked so full of energy, perhaps because their goal was literally right in front of them. Even when the Plegian soldiers that remained tried to take advantage of the Risen, who kep appearing, though not as fast as they were being killed, they were suffering no major injuries that Lissa, Maribelle, or Libra could take care of in an instant.

And if that wasn't good enough, Basilio and his men had finally entered the fray. The man wasted no time in contacting Robin, telling him the good news. They had successfully rescued Phila and the rest of the Pegasus Knights of Ylisse. The effect was immediate as well, as the added number gave the Shepherds air superiority from which the Plegians could not recover, not even as more Risen were appearing. And because Robin had made a mind-link with Phila before, he was able to coordinate her and the rest of the new arrivals.

" _It's now or never, everyone_ ," he said to them all. " _Mages, don't let a single arrow hit the pegasus. Phila and Fiora, go directly to Emmeryn. Along the way, have some of them split off and hit the Risen from the back. Kent, Frederick, Stahl, Sully, and Isadora, you are flanking from the west to cut off any Risen trying to chase after the Pegasus Knights. The rest of you will rush forward to finish off anything that stands in our way._ "

Robin could read the atmosphere enough to know that they all were in agreement with the plan and that they understood their part. This was it. Emmeryn would be safe and sound in mere moments, and the emblem would remain as property of the Halidom of Ylisse, as it should be. Confident that they were about to win, Robin gave the order to go.

Things went just as he had expected. Seeing the many pegasus flying over their heads, the Risen brought up their vows to bring the mounts down. But after letting their arrows loose, they were taken down by wind spells from Ricken, Miriel, and Robin, with Tharja and Canas using Flux spells instead. The Pegasus Sisters and Phila kept heading towards Emmeryn, the Risen chasing after them. But, again, before they got themselves within range, the cavalry hit them hard. Any other arrow that was shot was brought down just as fast. The blades, axes, and lances of the Shepherds as well as Serra's white magic brought down the Risen that had been cut off from the main group.

Using Eagle Eye, the brunette was seeing his plan unfold before him. Already the Risen's numbers had fallen by half. And further ahead, he could see Phila about to reach Emmeryn. The knight was extending her arm towards the Exalt, ready to take her with. Emmeryn too was getting herself ready to reach out for that hand full of hope… But just as those two were to be joint, Gangrel stepped in. He grabbed a handful of Emmeryn's hair, pulling her back towards him. With his free hand he pulled out his sword—a twisted blade that reflected the man's personality and sanity—and shot lightning at Phila, forcing her to make a sharp turn. Robin's jaw dropped as he saw the pegasus taking the brunt of the hit, though it remained in the air.

"You didn't think I would give in, did you?" Gangrel asked sarcastically before laughing, his voice echoing through the battlefield once again. The Mad King wrapped his arm around Emmeryn's neck, keeping her in place as he pointed his sword towards where Chrom, Robin, and the others stood. With Emmeryn in such a position, Robin had everyone back off in fear that Gangrel would kill her if he felt threatened. "This will end on _my_ terms! And my terms are that the Ylissean royals' blood be spilt on the ground if it's the last thing I see."

From behind Gangrel appeared a black pegasus, ridden by Aversa. He got onto it with sword in one hand, and Emmeryn helplessly looking back at her brother and sister as she was forced onto to ride the pegasus. They were retreating, heading back towards Castle Plegia. Not only were they leaving the battlefield, but also abandoning the Plegian soldiers that remained without a commander. Their lives had been seen as acceptable losses, a concept that sickened Robin, even if it wasn't someone on his side that was using it. But no matter what he thought, those soldiers would keep fighting because to them, the Ylisseans were the ones that had invaded...again…

"We have to bring down Gangrel!" Chrom said, breaking Robin out of thought. The prince was already giving chase, moving much faster than ever before. "We can't let him take Emm to the castle. Gods know what he might do to her behind closed doors!"

"You are not thinking straight again, Chrom," said Robin as he tried his best to keep up the pace of his friend, with the rest running with him. "If we try to bring Aversa down, the fall might kill Emmeryn too. Not to mention that all our pegasus knights only have spears and swords with them, while Aversa has a tome and Gangrel has his magical sword. The best we can do is follow them to the castle and fight our way to Emmeryn there."

"Mark is right," said Hector, who, despite his heavy armor and the ticky sand, was keeping up with them. "We have enough mounted units with us that can cover our rear while the rest of us fight it out inside the castle. If they are retreating, they must have something prepared in there for us."

Chrom looked like he had been struck by a realization, one which Robin had pushed to the back of his mind. The bluenette turned to look at his tactician as he kept running. "Gangrel's elite guard…?"

Robin nodded, cursing himself for forgetting all about that. The fighting had become so hectic that he had failed to look for any of Gangrel's top fighters. That explained why they hadn't had much of a struggle so far. But now they were going in, their energy somewhat depleted, into a different battlefield against an enemy that was fully rested. For all his madness, Gangrel still held up as formidable adversary when it came to tactics. He had been holding this as a backup plan. In comparison, Robin had gone in at full force from the start. Both were good strategies. The question now became which one would outlast the other.

Along the way, there was no enemy resistance whatsoever. It was both reassuring—perhaps the only ones left to fight would be the elite guard—and frightening—they could be running directly into an ambush. Either way, it did not matter because they had already entered the courtyard, which was decorated by a number of pillars engraved with hieroglyphics, a few fountains, and a some trees, though these were as green as the nonexistent grass. It was here where most of their numbers would remain and fight to provide an escape route should it be needed. Basilio and his men too decided that they would stay behind, excited about the prospect of "cracking a few skulls of our own," as the khan put it.

Only fifteen went inside, Chrom leading the charge. The tall, empty halls of the castle along with the lack of light made for an eerie feel. The sound of their accumulated steps echoed through the halls as if to emphasize how empty the castle was. Robin told everyone to keep their guard up, having a feeling that they were being lured deeper and deeper into the castle. He knew that, Gangrel would choose an area that gave him the biggest advantage for a fight. Afterall, that's what the tactician would do too.

They finally reached the castle's grand hall, and for the first time since they entered, they could all see that they were not alone. Gangrel was standing in front of his throne, still holding onto Emmeryn as a valuable hostage. Aversa stood nearby, her pegasus nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, the guests of honor have arrived," Gangrel said mockingly as he pointed his sword towards the group. His sounded more imposing there than it had anywhere else, whether because of the way sound traveled or because of his confidence. "I welcome you all! Yes… I welcome you to what will be your final resting place!"

"Lissa! Chrome! Don't get any closer!" Emmeryn warned her siblings in panic, but couldn't say much else. Gangrel quickly yanked her to a side to force her to stop.

"Let her go, Gangrel," growled Chrom, tightening his grip on Falchion. "The Emblem is what you _really_ want, isn't it? Leave Emmeryn out of this! We can settle things once and for all." The prince lifted the shield—the Fire Emblem—in what Robin could only think was an effort to prove that it was the real thing. "If this is what you want, come get it."

"No, no, no," said Gangrel as he shook his head slightly and frowning. "Weren't you listening to me out there? How rude can you be! The Emblem is only secondary to killing off the Exalted bloodline, with third being killing all Ylisseans. But it's good you brought it all the way here! Now I can kill two bird with one stone. And if I can kill that _traitor_ ," he pointed his sword towards Robin, "along the way, who am I to complain?"

"You would kill all Ylisseans?"

"I would _destroy_ your whole kingdom, boy! All in the name of retribution."

"Y-Ylisse already paid reparations for that!" Lissa interjected, though her voice wavered.

"Gold?! You think this is about GOLD?! Don't insult me, little princess! If gold was what my people wanted I would've handed out coffers full of it! You insult us as much as your sister here did! _She_ thought that a few gold pieces for each life lost during her father's so-called "crusades" would be enough to appease us… Gold is good for the living, but what about the dead, huh? What price does a life hold, I wonder?" Chrom flinched, though he kept his eyes on Gangrel at all times. It was difficult to look any other place when Emmeryn looked not only uncomfortable, but also in pain. "Shouldn't a life pay for a life?"

"Our side suffered casualties too-" Crom was cut off by the Mad King.

"Casualties? That's golden. Don't make me laugh. _Your_ people were invaders. Those lives you lost are on you, not us. Not to mention the fact that you slaughtered indiscriminately! Men, women, young, old. You were here to eradicate us all like some kind of plague! You have at least one amongst your little band of misfits that lived through it, losing everything to the crusade! Can you look at him in the eye and tell him that his mom and pops death don't mean anything because _some_ soldiers on your side died too? How heartless. I see that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Chrom and Lissa were the first to turn to look at Robin, but the others eventually did so as well. As for Robin, he felt sick for so many reasons he couldn't decide how he should react. Some of what Gangrel was saying _was_ the truth. Yet, it felt wrong to the brunette. To everyone's surprise, the one to speak up wasn't him, but Tharja.

"Oh, please," she said. One could practically hear her eyes rolling in the tone of her voice. "Stop trying to make yourself out to be the hero of the people. You are doing all of this for your own selfish reasons."

"What did you say, wench?! You dare speak to your king that way? And to think I had half a mind to spare your life and-"

"Save it, I'm not interested in serving you. My place is and will always be by Master Robin's side."

"Why you-"

"She is right…" said Robin, finally regaining his confidence thanks to the dark mage. "I do not blame Chrom, Emmeryn, nor Lissa for what happened. They too were children when the crusades took place. To blame someone because of the wrong-doings of their parents is childish. Though it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth when I think back on what I lost...I've forgiven Ylisse for what happened, as have many of the other people I know...though some of those people's feelings wavered when you brought about a new age of war. It is as Tharja said, you are doing this because that is what _you_ want!"

"You insolent insect," Gangrel cursed under his breath, glaring daggers at Robin. "I will enjoy killing you."

"Then let us see what you've got!" Robin lifted his sword and tome, ready to go on the offensive. He didn't have a chance to take a step, though. An arrow flew directly towards him. His blade was too slow, and he simply couldn't cast a spell. The arrow hit him in the chest, but thankfully, it did not pierce through the chestplate. _That's gonna leave a bruise_ , he thought as he gritted his teeth.

"Don't think for a second it will be that easy." From different doorways, guards began to appear. These people were armed to the teeth, their weapons and armor looking like new, but also formidable. From just looking at them, Robin could tell that every single one of them was a seasoned veteran. "I think you know who these people are, don't you? After all, you were supposed to stand with them, Robin. For those that _don't_ know, this is my elite guard… Part of it. Now they will kill all of you."

As soon as the battle began, Gangrel and Aversa took Emmeryn away. Robin could see them walking further and further away by the second, but he couldn't stop them, as he was in the middle of a fight. These men and women were nothing like the soldiers they had been fighting. Not only were they weapons and technique better, they were also very organized in the way they advanced. Still, they were not invincible. They were taking them down, just a lot slower than Robin would have liked. _To think that these aren't all of his guards…_

Every minute felt like an hour. They couldn't let Gangrel get further away. They would need to split off. The first ones to stay behind were Lon'qu, Matthew, and Panne. The trio was quick to volunteer themselves. The rest of them turned and ran towards the hall they had seen Gangrel take.

The castle was acting as a labyrinth. With its many corridors and empty rooms, Robin felt like he was in Arena Ferox again, except that this castle felt like it had much less of a structure to it. He only knew they were heading the right way when more guards would appear to fight them.

Gaius, Olivia, and Tharja made up the second group that was left to defend a position. They had set themselves up in a staircase. Using it as a bottleneck, they would be able to fight more evenly, even if they were outnumbered. Tharja didn't look pleased to be left there, but she did not voice any complaints. Whatever the case was, leaving a mage behind in such a position would do more good than harm.

It was only a matter of time for their number to dwindle down once again, with Canas, Nowi, and Lissa staying behind and then Ricken and Anna doing so as well. The only ones left to chase after Gangrel were Hector, Lyn, Robin, and Chrom. These four would be able to make it to the roof if they were lucky. They weren't lucky. When last staircase was within reach a number of guards took them by surprise, blocking their path.

"Dastars…" Chrom cursed under his breath. "We are so close and they keep coming! How many of them does Gangrel have?"

Hector moved forward, stepping in front of Chrom, Lyn, and Robin. He lifted his axe, resting it on his shoulder as he examined their opponents. "Leave these to me," he told them. "I'll get a few of them out of the way. The three of you go on ahead and get to the rooftop. This looks to be the only way up, meaning that as long as I stand here, no one should bother you up there."

"I appreciate what you are trying to do, Lord Hector, but that would be suicide for you. No, the four of us can take care of-"

"Don't waste your breath, Lord Chrom. I'm making my own decision here. I'll fight them off. I know we've only sparred instead of fighting full on, but believe me when I say that I can take care of this much on my own. If you won't take my word for it, you can always ask Mark and Lyndis. Not that it matters. I don't plan on dying here. I promised my daughter that I would return to Ostia in one piece. And I get a feeling my wife wouldn't be too pleased to become a widow so suddenly."

"I don't like this, but Hector is right," said Robin. "This is our best chance, Chrom. We should take it and make sure to have Gangrel surrender quick."

With both regret and guilt, the three of them moved forward once Hector had dealt a killing blow on the man standing in front of the staircase. While they moved forward, Hector turned around to act as a barrier between them and the chasing forces. The sound of battle filled Robin's ears in seconds. When they finally reached the roof to find Gangrel, Aversa, and Emmery, it was still the case, though this time the sound of battle was that that was taking place in the courtyard and the air between the Shepherds and the small army of Risen.

"How nice of you to join us," said Gangrel. "We've been expecting you. Look around, you three! _This_ will be the last thing you see before you all die. And when I'm done with you, I'll throw your dear elder sister off this roof, take the Fire Emblem, and lay waste to Ylisse!"

"Not if we have a say on it, Gangrel," said Chrom as he ran towards the redhead.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…"

Once more, a small group of Risen appeared out of thin air in front of them, acting as a barrier between them and the Mad King. They would have to go through them if they wanted to reach Emmeryn, but the problem was that as long as Aversa was there, the number of Risen wouldn't diminish.

" _I need you two to listen closely,_ " Robin told Lyn and Chrom through the Mind Link. " _If we can take down Aversa, we can get to Gangrel. I'll need you two to keep the Risen occupied for me to deal with her. Think you can do that?"_ Both of them nodded in response. " _Good. Let's do this_."

Robin immediately made a b-line towards Aversa. Any Risen that stood on his way were taken down by either Chrom or Lyn. It looked like it would be a simple attack. He prepared his sword to slash at the dark flyer once she was within reach, yet she was able to make the first move, launching a spell directly towards him without a care in the world, after all, if she hit one of her own, it would be a Risen.

Robin's eyes widened as the spell struck him in full force. It wasn't a spell that anyone could learn, let alone master. This was a spell that had been specifically crafted by the caster herself, that much he could tell when he felt most of his energy leave his body, similar to the effect to a more common Nosferatu, but the power being many times stronger. The spell also crushed his body, as if trying to squeeze last ounce of life out of him. He was already in excruciating pain when he felt the exploding power of the spell pushing him back. The hit was enough to bring the tactician down, falling face first onto the hot stone roof of the castle.

Chrom and Lyn both yelled out his name immediately after he hit the floor, but the brunette couldn't distinguish their voices from the other sounds around him, as the pain was proving too much of a distraction. His body felt like mush. He could even feel blood rushing into his lungs and up his throat, forcing him to cough it out. At the very least, that was a sign that he was still alive, though Robin had to wonder whether surviving something like that was a good thing or not and just _how_ he was able to survive it, even if just barely.

The Mad King cackled as he kicked the distracted prince away from him to create some distance. He was probably thinking that victory would be theirs now that the tactician was down. But on the other hand, Aversa was scowling. She looked at Robin in surprise when he tried to get up, but failed.

"You are more resilient than you look, Little Robin," she said as she circled around him like a bird of prey, something that the others took notice of, but were struggling to prevent as they had problems of their own to deal with. She leafed through her tome, looking at it halfheartedly. "Validar always had high hopes for you. He spoke eagerly about your future, you know? To see you in such a state… He would be disappointed of his little prodigee. But mayhaps like this I can take you back to him. He may not be pleased, but he won't be able to deny that you are better to have as a cripple than dead or out of reach."

If Robin could have clench his jaw any more than he had at that moment, his teeth would have shattered. Lyn was shouting his name, begging for him to get up. If only his body would do so, but it wouldn't listen to him. His energy reserve was completely depleted. Having used so many Mind Links and Eagle-Eye for so many hours while fighting, though a good idea at the time, had taken its toll on him bit by bit. When he needed his energy the most, he didn't have any left. And though there were allies nearby that could help him, it wouldn't be possible for them to do so.

 _I can't let it end here_ , he thought as he looked from Aversa to the woman standing not too far behind Gangrel. Emmeryn locked eyes with him, her own almost reflecting the pain he was in. To think that she had been forced to witness the death of so many while standing on the verge of her own death, and now she had to see an ally die too… She was _right there_! They were so close! Everyone—Shepherds, Pegasus Knights, Feroxi, Ostain, and Ilians—they were all still fighting to see her safe return. There was still a chance for them to win this war. All they had to do was rescue the Exalt.

 _I can't die yet_. He told himself that over and over again as the space around him seemed to slow down to a crawl. There were many things he still wanted to do; that he _had_ to do. If he were to die, Lucina's mission would be accomplished. If she were to be believed in, that would mean that the world would be safe. It could be for the best. But Robin, like any other human being, was selfish. He wanted so much more out of life. He still had many things to tell Lyn. He wanted to share so much more with her. He wanted to tell her he loved her. To start a family with her and live in peace, something that he had only experienced for a fraction of his life. He wanted to _live_.

Then there it was again. That feeling coming from his core. The unexplainable red glow. It was like a burst of fresh air. Literally. He could feel the blood from his lungs quickly disappear along with much of the pain throughout his body. The steps that had been going around him stopped as Aversa looked at him dumbfounded. He was standing up. Not trying to stand up, but actually standing up as if he'd been hit with an apprentice's Flux spell. Robin felt the heat spreading throughout his body, revitalizing him. No longer did he feel tired or on the verge of death.

"I _hate_ that man. And one day, when the opportunity presents itself, I _will_ kill him," he vowed as he lifted his own tome on one hand, the pages fluttering by themselves as if searching for a spell to use. The heat that he was feeling through his body started to take physical form in the shape of purple fire that covered his entire body. Unlike regular fire, however, this did not harm the tactician. Ignis. Something the tactician had experienced only a handful of times before in his life, though he had no explanation as to what the cause for it was. But this was different from those times too, not only because of the situation, but because the power itself was merging with the red glow.

All around him people stopped. Suddenly seeing someone burst into flames and act like nothing happened had to catch the interest of a few people. However, Robin did not care about anything else at that moment other than the woman in front of him, who looked at him with a bizarre combination of surprise, excitement, and maybe even a hint of fear. Much like him, she was getting ready to throw out a spell. He was expecting as much, which made him decide on what spell to use.

"I'll show you how it's done," he told her as he concentrated his energy on his tome, letting it feed off of all the excess energy produced by both the red glow and Ignis. Magic rings began to appear all around him just as he was about to attack. Likewise, Aversa was surrounded by her own magic rings. Robin smirked, knowing what her spell would be because of the configuration of the rings. Extending his tome forward, he let loose, yelling out, " _waste!_ "

" _Ruin_!" was Aversa's counter.

The purple mist flickered with electrical charge as it made its way towards Aversa. She was quick on her feet, dodging the attack, her own hitting Robin, lifting a small cloud of dust. But just she wasn't victorious just yet, as she learned when another _waste_ spell was sent her way immediately after. Because of the dust in the air and trying to dodge the first spell, she hadn't noticed that the reason she had hit Robin was because he hadn't made a move, instead opting to prepare a second attack.

This time it was her turn to get hit. A common _waste_ spell could do devastating damage. A super-charged one was on a whole other level. The force it generated on contact with the dark flyer was enough to create a small explosion, from which Aversa was sent flying into the air...and off of the roof. A fall from that height would kill anyone, though considering her affiliation with Validar, Robin wouldn't be surprised to bump heads with her again in the future. But for the time being, she was no longer part of the battle. With her fall, the remaining Risen that Lyn had been fighting quickly vanished, leaving Gangrel standing all on his own, surrounded by enemies.

"Surrender now, Gangrel," said Robin as what remained of Ignis vanished into thin air. "Your army is in shambles, your elite guard too worried for their own lives to see to yours, and you are surrounded. Release the Exalt this instant and let this war be done with."

"Surrender?" Gangrel repeated before bursting out laughing, practically crying at the idea. "What a joke! Look down below, tactician. Even now, the _real_ Plegians will keep on fighting until the end. This war can only end one way: either the Ylisseans die or we die."

"You would sacrifice your own people for your own selfish reasons?" Lyn asked, her swords ready to continue the combat. "You are meant to guide your people! To protect them! What man calls himself a king only to bring his own country to its knees?"

Gangrel clicked his tongue. "I don't know who you are, wench, but watch your mouth! I can very well kill you here. This fight is _not_ over! Not until every sword that we hold hits the ground!"

"Everyone, I plead you listen to me!" The other four turned to look at where Emmeryn was standing. She was leaning out, her voice echoing throughout the battlefield. "Today is a sad day for all of our nations. So many innocent lives have been lost today in the name of vengeance… I know that I can't phantom to understand what the people of Plegia went through during the crusades orchestrated by my father. I know many of you lost family and friends during those years of darkness between Ylisse and Plegia.

"Continuing this war will do you more harm than good, for should you reach victory, it will be at the cost of countless lives of your countrymen. You may think that you will have appeased those that died during the last war, but what of the ones that perished during this war? Will another war be the answer yet again? We will be stuck in an endless cycle, never to see peace; never to live like brothers and sisters…

"Please, I beg of you… Put an end to this senseless fighting…"

For a moment, it seemed as if everything had stopped. All the sounds of steel clashing, wings flapping, and spells been fired disappeared. If it wasn't for the wind blowing, it would be easy for one to think that time itself had stopped. The silence was something Robin would never expect to hear during a battle of such importance. He had to wonder if the people of Plegia had been touched by Emmeryn's words.

"Nice speech, your Exaltedness," said Gangrel, bringing everyone back to reality. "But I already told you how this will end." It was then that Gangrel pointed his sword at the Exalt. From the distance between them, this didn't seem threatening...except that Gangrel's sword was no ordinary sword. Chrom, Lyn, and Robin were already running towards Gangrel when his sword began to shine. Emmeryn was turning to face the Mad King, only to see the sword. "Die now."

The malicious grin that the Plegian king had quickly vanished as a sword was run through him. The sword wasn't Falchion, nor was it Robin's more common sword. It was Mani Katti, one of Lyn's swords. She had covered the distance of several meters in an instant, leaving the prince and her lover behind. Gangrel's sword hand wavered, but he still was dead set on attacking Emmeryn. Or at least that was until Sol Katti pierced through his breast as well.

"You...bitch," said Gangrel as he looked back at Lyn. He spat out blood, unable to conceal the pain he was in. As much as he would have liked to keep the sword up, with injuries like those the result was inevitable. The sword clanged as it hit the floor, the body of the Mad King starting to go limp. Lyn pulled out her swords from the once great king just as the Chrom and Robin reached her. Even Emmeryn had come to them. Despite everything, it seemed that it pained her to see Gangrel in such a state. She kneeled down on the ground and held his head up, the man looking at her in spite, but unable to push her off. "This changes...nothing… There will never be...peace between Ylisse and Plegia… Foolish bunch, all of you… You will all...die alone…"

There, with his head resting on the lap of the Exalt he tried to execute not a minute before, Gangrel, King of Plegia, died from wounds suffered from the blades of another-worlder. Much like Robin had down in Elibe, she would cement herself in the history books of a world she was not born in. If Emmeryn's speech wasn't enough to stop the fighting, the announcement of Gangrel's death took the remaining fighting spirit that the Plegians had.

The four left the rooftop in silence, leaving the body behind. The first one they found as soon as they came down the stairs was an exhausted Hector covered in blood, sitting on the steps. Somehow, the man had stopped a dozen elite guards from reaching the top of the staircase by himself. This was repeated again and again, as they all reunited with those they had left behind. It was an incredible feet in everyone's part to have fought without sustaining major injuries. Of course, when they found Lissa, she threw herself to her sister's arms, crying out of joy to see her unharmed.

The celebration that was held that night was like no other, not that Robin expected any different when khan Flavia decided to organize it all, though he did wonder what had been going through the Khan's mind when she had decided to haul so many barrels of ale all the way from Ferox for their march, or even how she had hidden that fact from him.

They had setup camp away from the Plegian capital, hoping to be respectful to those that had lost their lives. Both Ferox and Ostia had lost a number of soldiers, for which Robin felt responsible for. So much so, in fact, that he was trying to apologize for it as he sat with the Khans, Hector, Farina, and Lyn on one of the many tables as they shared a drink.

"You have nothing to blame yourself over, Robin," said Flavia, her serious tone showing for the first time since the celebration had started. "The Feroxi that died today did so with their heads held high, fighting for a cause that they believed in. They volunteered themselves to come here in the first place, knowing that there was a chance they would not return. No matter how good of a tactician you are, even a living legend as yourself can't take complete control over the battlefield. Instead of thinking of the lives you "couldn't" save, you should think of all the ones that are living today because of how obsessed you are with micromanaging this army. I'm sure Hector agrees with me on this."

"Honestly, you can be such a pain when it comes to this kinds of things," said Hector, then he gulped down half the tankard he had to let those words set in. "You blame yourself for things that are out of your control. It was the same thing when we mistakenly fought against Ninian in her dragon form. When she died, you blamed yourself for it too, despite the fact that no one knew her and Nils' secret.

"You can only do so much, Mark. No matter how much you can tell someone about the battlefield, in the end, half the fight still is in the hands of the fighters themselves. So stop sulking so much, enjoy your damn drink, and let's hear that disgusting laugh of yours!"

Robin let out a sigh. He knew they were right, but he didn't like it either way. He turned to look at the great lord. "You've become more outspoken in the time since I last saw you. Don't think that because your are now older than me you can get away with it."

"I'll enjoy it while it lasts. You used our age against us too many times in the past. It's time for some payback, if you ask me."

Robin was about to respond when a voice came from behind him, saying, "I hope we aren't interrupting anything." Those sitting on the table quickly stood up when they noticed who the voice belonged to. Emmeryn was standing there, smiling fondly at everyone. With her were also Phila, Frederick, Sully, Lissa, and Chrom. "We haven't had much of a chance to talk since the end of the battle. I was hoping you could all spare a moment."

"Certainly, your Grace," said Robin.

"First, let me thank you, khan Flavia, khan Basilio. You helped us in our time of need when the Risen first appeared in Ylisse, and when this war broke out, you did not hesitate to lend us a helping hand to resolve it. You've proven yourselves to be an invaluable ally, and I hope we can repay your kindness in the future."

"It was our pleasure, Lady Emmeryn," said Flavia.

"I would also like to thank you, khan Basilio, for rescuing Phila and the Pegasus Knights that were captured. They are all important people to me. Seeing them again brings me great joy."

"Don't mention it," said Basilio. "You should thank Robin for that. He was the one that came up with a way to rescue them in the first place."

"It seems that I have much to thank you for, Lord Robin. Or should I call you Lord Mark?"

"Robin is the name that was given to me by my parents, while Mark was a name I chose for myself. I don't mind being called by either one, your Grace," said Robin. "But please, do not call me Lord. As I mention before, I hold no titles or lands."

Emmeryn shook her head, her smile never leaving her lips. "But that is no longer true, is it? Going from what Chrom and Lissa have told me, you _do_ hold several titles, as much as you may try to downplay them. After all, you are the mythical tactician of the Lycian League. However, I know that that won't change your opinion on the matter. I'll do as you ask and continue calling you Robin then.

"I have many things to thank you for, Robin. Not only have you played your part expertly as the tactician for the Shepherds, helping Ylisse time and time again without ever asking for anything in return. You fought with your mind as in and out of the battlefield along the other soldiers in every battle. You even came to my rescue personally, for which I am very grateful. But what brings me the most joy is that you kept your promise of keeping Chrom and Lissa safe. You are living proof that Plegians and Ylisseans can coexist in peace and even become friends. For all that and much more, I can never thank you enough, Robin."

"It was my honor, your Grace."

"And I can't forget of Lady Lyn, as she was the one that saved my life in the last moment of the fight. "

"For all the Shepherds and yourself have done for Mark, it is the least I could do," said Lyn, causing Emmeryn to giggle. She had to know how fond Lyn held Robin.

"Finally but not least, Marquess Hector and Lady Farina as well as the rest of the people you brought with you. Though your objective may have been to come aid Robin instead of involving yourselves in the war, you played an enormous role in ending it all. I know you lost some of your men during the battle. Know that they will be held like heroes in Ylisse for generations to come. This was something you could have stayed out of, but for choosing to aid us, you too have my deepest gratitude."

"Though you are correct in saying that we came here for the well-being of Mark, your Grace, I stand firm in my decision to lend my forces to the cause. Those who died today knew the risk when coming this far. Much like the Feroxi, they came through a gate knowing that there could be a chance that they would never see Ostia again, even if they survived the battles we fought in."

"Let us share a drink to remember those fallen today then. Would you mind if we joined you?"

The table was cramped with the added bodies, even with Phila and Frederick both deciding to remain standing instead. As it was said, it was done. The group lifted their mugs and drank the ale, some of them drinking the whole thing in one go (the khans). The conversation turned more pleasant from then on, but it all stopped when Lissa made a strange comment, perhaps the drink being too much for someone of her size and age.

"This could only be better if Lord Eliwood was here as well," she said, her voice turning to more of a whine as she continued, "why couldn't he come too? I want to meet the _Blade Lord_!"

"Eliwood the Blade Lord?" Hector repeated, one of his eyebrows arching as he looked at the pink-faced princess. "Eliwood has never held the title of Blade Lord."

"Eeeeeh!" Lissa looked up at the bearded bluenette, her eyes as wide as they could be. "But the boooooks say he _is_ the Blade Lord."

"I don't know what books you are talking about, princess Lissa, but Eliwood was not the Blade Lord," said Farina. "He is known as the Knight Lord, though."

"Whaaa- But isn't he this, like, _super_ swordsman? He _has_ to be the Blade Lord!"

"Eliwood is the best swordsman in the Lycian League, of that there is no doubt," said Hector. "He is the kind of talent which you only see once every hundred years. That being said, even during the time we traveled with Mark, there were two sword fighters that were better than him. The first was Karen, the Sword Princess. The other was the _true_ Blade Lord, he pointed at a certain greenette, "Lyn."

"The Blade Lord was a woman?" Sully asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "That's the first I hear about that. Kinda makes me glad."

"It does explain what she did in the roof," Chrom said. "I've never seen anyone move so fast in my entire life. I would dare say it is the stuff of legends."

"Even with my knowledge on swordplay being limited, even I can say that it was a beautiful sight," said Emmeryn.

"Most nomads know of the technique," Lyn pointed out. "It is not as special as you all make it out to be."

They kept sharing drinks and stories for most of the night. Eventually, being tired after a full day of combat, they began to retire to their tents. Robin and Lyn left together, going to Robin's tent. He found it pleasant to be able to have her back in his tent after hardly seeing her for the last few weeks. He also remembered that he had asked her to be there that night so that he could tell her something important.

He found his heartbeat started to rise as he began to remove his armor. He was getting nervous, for some reason. He knew what he wanted to say. They were three simple words. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness, even being sure that she had to feel the same way. Lyn was looking at him as she sat on the bedroll, having already taken off her own armor pieces and setting them aside. She smiled at him, but never said anything.

Finally, after removing his boots, Robin sat down next to her. He scratched the back of his neck, trying to think of how to word it all. He could feel his cheeks flushing as he became more aware of her presence.

"We've...never been an average couple, have we?"

She tilted her head slightly, her green hair cascading down her back. "What do you mean, Mark?"

"W-Well… You know, it feels like we did things all out of order. We kissed before confessing our feelings… We slept in the same bed without ever have courted much… That's not how things normally are, is it?"

"I suppose not. I don't have any experience with this sort of thing. You were the first and only man to ever catch my interest. If you think about it, our time spent together in Elibe could be consider our time of courtship. Neither of us knew our own feelings, yet we did many of the things two people that want to date would. Does it bother you so?"

"No! Gods, no! I am pleased with how things have turned out for us. I truly am. I don't think I've ever been as happy as I am when I get to spend time with you by ourselves. Being with you calms me. No matter how much is on my head, when you hold me or hold onto me, my mind is at peace. I find myself enjoying the little things as well, like the way you sleep with your mouth slightly open, or how your hair bobs up and down. I even found myself imagining what our child could look like!"

That last part was much more embarrassing when said out loud than he thought it would be. Seeing her cheeks dusted in red made him feel a bit better. He wondered if she too had this thought in her mind or if it was only him. This was the first time that he felt that way for anyone. Like her, he was in an unknown territory, not sure what the next step would be best to take. One thing he knew for sure, and that was that he wanted to be with her.

He turned himself to face her. Lifting himself in one knee, he took her hands on his own, giving them a gentle squeeze as he looked deep into her beautiful eyes, almost getting lost in them.

"M-Mark, what are you…?"

"What I mean to say, Lyn, is that I love you, with all my heart! I've done so for a long time. And though I don't have a ring with me now, I still want to ask. Lyn, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

* * *

Plegain War Arc END

* * *

We did it, guys! It took 21 chapters, but the first arc is finally done! Hurray! But can't celebrate for long! Gotta start thinking about the next arc and get things going there. For now, I already have the next couple of chapters planned. Who knows? Might even write one of them up while I'm on the plane/airport this thursday. No promises though, cus I still need to update all my other stories too. We'll see.

The changes to the story made it possible for me to cut out/merge chapters from the arc, basically extending the Emmeryn ending a bit, but resolving it faster, if that makes sense. I had a lot of different ideas on how I would go about this chapter. Sometimes that can be helpful, but there are other times where I scrap things because I get what I think is a better idea as I'm writing. Overall, pretty happy with the result. I liked the idea of having them save Emmeryn in the end instead of her "dying", if you know what I mean.

There were a few important standouts during the combat sequence for this chapter. First, introduction to combat-light magic. Second, Luna, cus Luna _has_ to be there if you bring Canas, right? Third, Ignis. I probably played around with this the most, trying to justify it's use more. And fourth, Lyn's critical strike/shadow-step. All super fun to write about.

That whole thing about the Blade Lord was one of the scene I had planned for a a long time. If you read the review responses, you'll know that I do have a ton of these planned, but have to find a good moment to slip them in. I took advantage of having that big group during the celebration to throw it in, hehe.

Then there is the last scene... You knew this was coming. And because I'm a heartless bastard, you don't get to see the result until next time, mwahahaha!

Oh, and before I forget, I made a mistake some time ago in one of my review responses saying that characters from FE8 would show up. It was super late when I wrote those, so it slipped and then I was too lazy to fix it. Anyways, no, I have no plans to include characters from Sacred Stones in the near future if at all.

Anyways, on to reviews!

 **XenoEmblem4TF** -The Yandere is strong in this one lol

 **Whatstoknow** -Ah, how I hate the whole release schedule based on where you live... I understand the need for localization to a certain extent, but honestly, how long can it really take to look over the whole game's dialogue? *Ranting over*Thank you very much, glad you liked it! It's funny, cus I remembered I was cooking dinner too when I got the mail for this review xD

 **Antiques thief** -Damn Fates, taking away my readers! Can't say I bame you, I've been playing it a lot, but it's been frustrating me too much. I finished Birthright and now I'm playing Conquest. Not gonna spoil the story itself, but so far I'm liking the story from Conquest better.

 **Fireofargentis** -Relaxing camp chapters are always nice, I'll admit. I try using them sparingly mostly because if you add too many then the story never advances or is too slow. As for the memory modification, gotta make things complicated to build up tension. There are a lot of ways Chrom and Frederick can react to that if/when they find out. I'm looking forward to playing that out. For the killing thing, I was mostly playing around, though I did make one on a Google Sheet that gives me 6 names (3m3f) and I can choose from there. Who knows if I'll use it, but know that character _are_ going to die. Hahaha that whole 3way thing was funny. Can't say that's how it'll play out, mostly because how I've hinted at the timelines/time travel working, but it's food for thought nonetheless.

 **animeandgamerlover2** -hahaha, careful, don't wanna break that keyboard. But thanks!

 **Greyjedi449t** -Thank you very much! I hope you like this chapter as well, seeing as it is a pretty big one.

 **Saraku** -No worries, reviewing once more than makes up for it. If you like those, I wonder what you'll say about the ending of this chapter then xP Yes, Roy and a bunch of other Binding Blade characters will appear in the future. Still need to decide when they'll show up, but be assured that they will! Lyn!Morgan ftw. I want them to find her and the rest of their family already! For backstories, yes, I do have plans to explore characters' pasts (from both games) as well as show the developing of relationships between more characters. I'm planning on having a more omnipresent narrator in the next arc to see if it helps too. No for FE8, that was something I never fixed, but I meant FE6 and FE7 at the time. And don't worry about long reviews. Love them! Thanks and I hope that you enjoy reading this and any coming chapters!

 **Yellowclover** -We meet again...BROTHER! No, that is too much like a soap opera... Anyways... To be fair on the brain washing, I needed something that would let me plug that until a chapter that let me revisit it while having the characters, well, stay IC. It may seem like a cheap trick, but I rather do that than never going back to it. Though I did hint only until that chapter what Lucina told Chrom and Frederick. Hahaha I can totally see Serra and Lissa becoming a problem in the future. Useful for comic relief and to advance certain plot points too, really. Hmm, I checked all the info on his and that's why I went with Erturia. Also, I remember there was something on a support that clued me to it, but I can't remember what it was nor with who it was. For your theories on magic, I agree with them all, though I see what you call Grimleal magic more as an extension of dark magic (Grima could still grant light magic). The thing about using blood as a catalyst for binding magic is that I've already made a reference to blood magic on the chapter Panne, Gaius, and Isadora are introduced. It's one of those things that I've wanted to revisit, but I keep pushing back...

 **Defcon Deceiver** -Characters will die, that's something I will be doing. Yes, some could get hurt and be out of action, but it happening to every single character will make people roll their eyes. The generator was mostly a joke, I did make one and you are assuming it only throws out a single name when it really throws out 6 for me to choose from. Also, the way I'm explaining time travel means that if a future child's parents die, it doesn't mean they will vanish. If that was the case, time would be linear, which causes a time paradox. I'm playing with the notion of time travel _and_ AUs. For Morgan and Morgana (yes, those are the names I'm going with for the twins), they are part of an alternate timeline. They will be from the same one as Roy and the others, though their timeline will be somewhat different from the game too as to include the reappearance of Lyn and Mark in that world. I like the idea that using combat based light magic depends on the "deity" people follow, though we'll see how I manage that in the future, since I might later on want Lissa and Maribelle to be able to use combat magic as well. For dark magic, it is the knowledge of it and it's acceptance, knowing that one day it can take you, that makes it work, according to a support with Canas. That is also the explanation I like best, so I'll be running with that one. Mark's title is something I do plan on playing with in the future. Thanks for reminding me of the whole Maribelle thing. I'll keep that in mind in the future. For Lyn's nad Florina's relationship, I see why people would see it as being romantic, however, I've only seen it as platonic. Both of them are nice on their own ways too. Depending on what I go with, the dynamic between them and Mark will change a lot, not to mention when you throw in Tharja into the equation, things get even more complicated. Speaking of whom, I also agree that I can see Tharja being happy for Robin's happiness while still wanting him for herself. Because of a lot of factors, I don't want t plan too far ahead for this love square. For your last point, that is a good catch on your part. Small hint, but says a lot about what really happened in the future timeline.

 **Mikoe777** -I'm really glad to hear that. Thank you very much!


	22. Memories of a time past

I mentioned on the last chapter that I might do something while traveling back home. Well... Here it is! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 22: Memories of a time past_

For Lyn, mornings were always difficult. Not because of the amount of work she had to get done, like feeding and water the few animals that were left or picking berries and whatever fruit she could find nearby for a meal, but because it reminded her of how alone she was.

As the only child of the leader of the nomadic tribe of the Lorca, the others always had high expectations for her. Because of that and there not being too many children around her age when she was growing up, she spent most of her time working with others and learning from them instead of playing. Still, she never complained about it. To her, she had a normal childhood with loving parents and friendly neighbors. Even moving around every few months never bothered her, finding it exciting instead, for the plains held many beauties and secrets.

Yet, those happy times would come to an end when she was fifteen—a woman of age by normal standards, but still a child in the eyes of many. It happened suddenly and without any warning. A few of the others began falling ill. The medicine man of the tribe couldn't do anything about it, but told them that whatever the sickness was, it wasn't contagious, which made people be on edge. And as more and more people began to fall ill—some of them could not stand for more than a few seconds before falling—it was already too late.

A group of bandits attacked one night, slaughtering the weakened people, men and women alike. Those that were sick quickly met their ends, being unable to defend themselves. Those that could fight were vastly outnumbered, and they too died one by one. Lyn had wanted to help fight, being one of the few that hadn't contracted the illness, but her father refused to have her risk her life.

When things were looking grim, it was her father that forces her onto a horse and told her to leave, to save herself. She wasn't having it, however. She had grown up with those people. Abandoning them was too painful, especially her mother and father. Her parents tried convincing her otherwise, but Lyn was getting hysterical. With no other option, her father tied her to the horse and had the horse run. With tears in their eyes, that was the last time the family would ever get to see each other.

Lyn returned to the ground days later, or to what remained of it, anyways. The yurts had been burned to the ground, the cattle made up of goats and horses had been slaughtered, and bodies littered the ground, their pieces unrecognizable from one another.

Though half a year had passed since that day, those memories remained burned into her mind. If she had too much free time on her hands, her mind would wander back to that day; the day she left her tribe behind… The day she became the only living survivor of the Lorca tribe.

She would get up early to get work done, yes, but also because sleeping meant having nightmares too. With every passing day, her hatred towards the bandits that destroyed her peaceful life became stronger. She wanted to avenge everyone—to allow them to rest in peace. But she knew that her skills were still lacking to do it by herself. As much as her father had taught her, he had passed away without revealing many secrets to her. Not that it mattered. She was struggling to survive as it was, leaving her little time to practice, let alone develop her own skills. Even with a routine in place, cutting corners to make time was not possible. She had to be thankful that she was able to scavenge some furniture, cookware, and a mostly intact yurt, which she quickly fixed. Also, two goats and her horse.

So imagine her surprise when, after six months of not seeing another living human being, she found a man laying down in the middle of the plains. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere—the grass around him undisturbed, and he carrying nothing more than the clothes on his back. She went to him, filled with joy to see someone. She called out to him, but he neither responded nor moved. She had been told to always be cautious when approaching someone from outside the tribe, but curiosity took hold of her, and so she approached him.

Days passed with her taking care of the man. He looked fine except for some scrapes here and there, but he wouldn't wake up, as much as she shook him. She had brought him back to her yurt and nursed him, in a way, hoping that he would wake up, but he was too stubborn. It was only when she was getting a meal ready, preparing a carrot stew, that he woke up, as if the smell had stirred something in him.

The man looked confused at his surroundings. Lyn tired to explain to the best of her ability what had happened since she found him, but he looked distracted. He kept running his hands all over himself, only stopping when he looked down at the back of his hand. She had asked for his name, and it was then that he finally answered.

"Mark…" he said under his breath as he rubbed the spot he had been so intently been staring at. And when Lyn pointed out that it was a strange name, he looked at her confused. "Strange?" She quickly backtracked, hoping her words hadn't insulted him. Unfortunately, their first conversation would be cut short when a loud sound came from the outside. She left him in the Yurt while she went to take a look.

Not far from where they were, a group of bandits had set up camp. By the looks of them, they were from Bern, and would likely be pillaging the nearby villages. She returned to her yurt in haste, looking around for her sword. She explained the situation to Mark, telling him that she would have to take care of them. The group wasn't as big as the one that attacked her tribe, but it was dangerous to go against them by herself. Nonetheless, she couldn't leave them be, for if they did attack a village, it would be like she had ran away all over again.

"I can fight too," said Mark as he got out of bed, his movements slow, but steady.

"I...won't stop you if that is what you want," she said, half hoping he would stay in bed instead. "But, what about a weapon? Do you carry one under that cloak?"

He seemed to search himself for something, but when it provided nothing, he gritted his teeth before turning to look at her. "I do not," he admitted, "but I do not need one. You will be my sword."

"I don't understand what you mean. Please, just wait here!"

"Wait!" He grabbed her wrist before she could leave again. "I am a strategist. A tactician! If I can't help you directly, then I'll take the role of your shield, though only metaphorically speaking… What I mean to say is that I will give you guidance."

The proposition was a strange one, but one that she would quickly be glad to have accepted. Somehow, Mark seemed to have an eye on the whole area. Normally, when outnumbered, it is easy for the enemy to sneak up on you when you are fighting someone else, but every single time Mark called out where, how many, and when they were coming.

The battle ended with an impressive victory for their side. Despite taking a few hits, she was able to remain standing and defend Mark through it all. Mark, on the other hand, collapsed without warning immediately after. He would not wake up until the next morning. He took no time to ask Lyn for directions to the nearest town, which she found strange, given that a traveling tactician should know the area, but then thought that the an could be suffering from a mild case of amnesia. She told him the way to go, but when she saw that he was leaving, she felt like she shouldn't let him go on his own. Perhaps it was her own selfishness talking, wanting to become stronger, but she tried to convince him to allow her to go with him.

He was hesitant, telling her that she was too young to be thinking of adventuring with someone she just met, but she kept insisting. Finally, he said he would do so, _if_ she had permission from her parents… Telling him her past was hard, but she was able to make it through. At one point, while on the verge of breaking down, he squeezed her shoulder. Somehow, the simple gesture felt reassuring, and though he kept silent during it all, she felt that he understood her pain.

That day, they made a promise. He would become her master strategist and she would be his peerless warrior. It was the type of promise a kid would have, yet, he did not mock her, instead nodding and offering her a warm smile for the first time since they met. The next day, they would depart on what would become a great adventure of self discovery for Lyn, one that would take her through a journey she never expected.

On their first stop, they met the knights Sain and Kent, of Caelin. They both had been searching for her, revealing that she was the granddaughter to the Marquess of Caelin, who was in poor health. They also learned that her uncle, Lord Lundgren, was trying to have her killed to secure his spot as successor to the title of Marquess.

Knowing that a living member of her family remained besides her, she decided to go meet her grandfather. But she suddenly found herself at a crossroads between her family and her promise to Mark. She could not force him to come with her on such a dangerous journey. She was ready, though saddened, to part ways with him to keep him safe.

Mark, who had remained quiet for most of her exchange with the knights, only asked one question: "What do you want to do, Lyn?"

"Though we've known each other for a short time, your companionship would put me at ease during this journey," she confessed. It was strange. He was in every sense of the definition, a stranger to her. They had been together for some days and she hardly knew anything about him. Yet, something about him made her think that he understood what she was feeling at any given time. Maybe it was because he was the first face she had seen in months, or maybe because he had helped her survive the two battles they already had. Either way, she trusted him. "I do not wish to put you in danger. We may be attacked many more times in the future and I can't guarantee your safety…"

He closed his eyes, looking what she could only describe as disappointed. "Then I will see you to Caelin. Once there, we shall part ways."

She was overjoyed by his words. Mark would remain as her shield, as he had put it before. Once more, she asked for his friendship and for his aid, knowing that he would provide them as he had done so far. But deep down, she was saddened by his words. Their days together would come to pass, and then, they would have to say their goodbyes…

They would meet many allies and fight many battles together in the coming months. Lyn also obtained the legendary sword Mani Catti, which had chosen her as a worthy wielder. She was happy to be surrounded by such kind people. She was especially happy to see her old friend, Florina, who had been training for some time to better herself as a pegasus knight. Everywhere she looked, everyone seemed to be getting along with one another. But Mark… Well, he helped everyone, but she could swear he was putting up a wall between himself and everyone else.

Ninian had once said that Mark had a "strange air" about him. Nils concurred, saying that the tactician didn't seem to belong there. The others had many good things to say about the hooded man, but they all agreed that he was not a man of many words outside of combat. To Lyn, this image painted by the others was nothing like the man she had gotten to know. He was patient, teaching her about tactics even if she had a hard time with it.. He was kind, always helping others before they asked. He was a good listener, lending her an ear whenever she needed to talk something out. And he was wise, giving her advice about how to cope with the loss of her family and ease the pain as well as the nightmares.

The day she met her grandfather was one of the happiest days in her life. They had saved him from certain death. What's more, the sickly man she had seen in bed was revitalized instantly by her presence, it would seem. She made a decision to watch over him in Castle Caelin until he was back to his full health. Sain, Kent, Wallace, Wil, and Florina would all be staying with her too, which she was glad for. The rest departed in the following days. Mark was the third one to leave, behind Matthew and Rath, only three days after they had arrived.

By chance he had seen him about to board a coach near the castle's gate. She went to him, her legs moving as fast as they could. She called out to him, hoping he would stop. Having him leave without any last words felt wrong. Thankfully, he did stop.

"Mark…," she said, slowing down her pace until she was standing before him. He pulled his hood down, revealing his messy brunette hair that had grown long in their months of travel. "You don't have to leave so soon. You deserve some rest after all the fighting we went through. I could talk with grandfather and ask for a room for you, if you like."

"I appreciate it, Lyn, but that won't be necessary," he said. From all the members of their small group of people, he was the only one that called her by that name. Not even Florina, who had known her for years, called her Lyn anymore. "I've kept my promise to see you to Castle Caelin. Your grandfather was also kind enough to pay me for the services I provided you during your journey." He showed her a hefty pouch of gold coins. "I refused the payment, but Lord Haussen is a stubborn man."

She chuckled, knowing that her grandfather was the kind of man that would force such a thing onto another. "Won't you reconsider?"

He gave it some thought for all but a second before asking, "what do you want to do, Lyn?"

For a second time since she had known him, he was offering her a choice. The first time she had told him she wished for him to accompany her, and so he did. It would have been easy to say something like that again and have him stay, if only for a few days, but she knew that that would be too selfish from her. "I cannot ask you to stay," she told him. "It's just… I'll miss you… Never would I've imagined everything we would go through together when I first found you in the plains… You've taught me much; helped us more than anyone could ever ask for, and I'm sure you've learned all you can from us. I have the upmost respect and admiration towards you, Mark, and I know that you _will_ become a master tactician. This coming from someone that's witnessed you potential firsthand."

"You are too kind," he told her as he smiled. "I did not do anything extraordinary. That was you and the rest. I am very proud of the progress you've done in only a few months. I think you could become the greatest warrior these lands will ever know, Lyn. Just remember to not let your guard down. Even in a castle keep, danger lurks around the corner. You'll have to be your own sword and shield from now on."

The man on the coach, not pleased with having had to wait so long, coughed into his fist to let them know they should hurry up. Mark looked towards the man, nodding when their eyes met. "I shouldn't keep them waiting…"

Her body instinctively went to his, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest. For a few seconds, all she could hear was his heartbeat. He returned the hug, but eventually they had to separate. With his hands on her shoulders and their eyes locked, she said, "I… I hope- No, I know that this will not be the last time we see each other. For that, I won't say goodbye… Until we meet again, Mark. Be safe."

"Until we meet again, Lyn."

And he was gone, a rail of dust left the by couch being the only thing left…

Lord Haussen recovered with haste. Within a few weeks of Lyn's, now Lady Lyndis, arrival, the two of them would take walks together around the castle. It was a wonderful time. She learned many new things, especially what was expected of someone of her status. Still, there were many times that she felt overwhelmed by everything. Whenever that happened, she would climb a hill and look towards the horizon, in the direction of her homeland, and think about the plains.

She was happy, despite lesser complaints, to be in Castle Caelin. Every few days she was able to meet with Florina and have a normal conversation like they used to… though she still called her Lady Lyndis instead of Lyn. Their conversations would often turn to reminiscing about their journey to Caelin together. One day, Florina said something that stopped Lyn on her tracks.

"You always smile when you talk about those times, Lady Lyndis," the young pegasus rider said. "You especially do so when you speak of Mark… I know you've always thought fondly of him...but… Could there be...more to it than missing a friend?"

"I…" She had to wonder, was that really the case? To her, it was inevitable to talk about Mark when speaking of those times. After all, they had spent much of the time together on and off the battlefield. The fact that they had shared a tent a number of times, though he insisted not to, only added to the assumption that there was some deeper meaning behind Lyn's interest in the tactician. But she couldn't remember ever thinking about such things. It wasn't as if she wasn't aware of her being a woman and him being a man, or the fact that he was seven years her senior. Yet, with that one question, while her mind was still unsure, made her cheeks heat up.

Before she could answer, Florina dismissed the question, apologizing for making things awkward. Not being able to think of an answer bothered the greenette.

The same day, during one of the walks she would take with her grandfather, Lord Haussen noticed that she was troubled. As one would, he asked what it was about. And, as to be expected of a member of the Lorca tribe, Lyn answered in full honesty that she was thinking about Mark.

"You mean that tactician that came with you when you first came to visit me?" Haussen asked, though he already knew the answer. He continued before she could answer. "He was an interesting fellow, from when I talked to him. Not that we talked much. I spoke with him twice, once the day you arrived, and again the day he left."

"He told me you paid him for his services the day he left, but did not mention the two of you having a conversation," said Lyn, suddenly feeling curious. She wondered if her grandfather had said something to him that would cause him to leave. "You ask him to leave, did you? You aid him out of the blue. Perhaps he took your intentions as something else."

"Heaven's, Lyn. I wouldn't do something so underhanded. I only thought he deserved payment for his role. After all, he kept you safe and was there for you even when I was stubborn enough not to listen to you. Helping you come here unharmed was no small task. His efforst could not go an army with only a few soldiers to direct was impressive, to say the least. So much so, in fact, that I'd offered him a position here, as our tactician."

"He didn't mention anything about it…"

"Well, may have been for the best that he did not talk about it. I fear I may have been too interested into his past, and that caused him to leave so suddenly. When someone with such skill is within arm's reach, one cannot help to become curious about them."

Lyn considered the possibility. Though she had talked in detail about her life growing up with the Lorca, Mark never made a mention of his past. Even when talking about places he had visited before the met, he kept the locations vague, giving generic descriptions to most of them. "What did you ask? Perhaps you said something that opened a wound in him."

"You are awfully interested in this man, Lyndis. I would ask you to give it a rest, given that he is long gone and nothing else has been heard from him since, but, in the short time we've had together, I've learned how stubborn you can be when you set your mind onto something.

"Very well, let me think… We spoke of many things, like where he learned tactics. He said that he had spent years studying texts, which I found unlikely because he would address me as "m'lord". As it happens, he was raised a farmer, though didn't explain where he learned to read and write."

"A farmer?" That was something she did not expect. Mark gave her the impression of being part of an important family, though perhaps a lower house or one with many children. To have a humble beginning like farming was something else they had in come.

"So he said, if you are to take his word as truth."

"You think he was lying?"

"One can't dismiss the possibility. During our last talk, he mentioned a place called Plegia. He quickly realized he had slipped. It was shortly after that that he excused himself left. And before you ask, I've studied maps of Elibe as well as its history since my childhood. There is no mention of it anywhere."

It was one more mystery to attribute to the mysterious tactician. Where her education had been more limited to Lycia, she could not recall ever having heard of Plegia either. What she did know was that, from the way her grandfather put it, he _did_ in fact have a hand in Mark's decision to leave. It hadn't been intentional from what she could tell. Getting mad at him for it would be a waste. Instead, she was glad that he had shared it with her. "Thank you, grandfather. I feel like I understand things better now."

"You are very welcome, Lyndis."

Ninian's death had not only taken them all by surprise, but it had also lowered the morale of everyone. Eliwood, Nils, and Lyn had taken it the hardest. As for the tactician, he had been a good support for everyone, lending a shoulder to cry on for Nils, comforting words to Eliwood, and reminiscing with Lyn about the time they had spent together with the dancer. It had been enough to bring the three of them out of the slump they were in. What no one had noticed was that, as much as he seemed to have accepted her death, he was not without troubles of his own.

The first one to notice was Hector. He, Eliwood, Lyn, Farina, and Florina were all sitting near a campfire, trying to warm themselves up after a cold day of work. They had all been quiet, letting their eyes do the talking for them. That was until Hector spoke up.

"There is something wrong with Mark," the bluenette said as he poked the fire with a stick. The entire group turned to look at him, waiting for him to explain his reasoning. When he noticed the stares of his comrades, he sighed. "You didn't notice?"

"He's been helpful to us all, and looked fined whenever we talked. I assumed he was fine," said Eliwood. Hector shook his head.

"You spend a lot of time together," said Hector to Lyn. "You hadn't noticed either?"

She felt a ping in her heart. Had she been so busy with her self-loathing and grieving that she had missed the signs of Mark's own grieving? "No…"

Hector let out a sigh. "I take it that you haven't visited his tent recently. You should take a look for yourself."

Lyn did so immediately, getting up and walking to Mark's tent. She had seen it many times before. She could at times find things there before he would. It was a familiar feeling like that of her yurt back in the plains, so she planned on finding something that was out of place, thinking that was what Hector meant. What she found in the tent astounded her.

Parchments covered the floor almost entirely from the entrance of the tent all the way to Mark's desk. Every single one of them were filled to the bring with notes written in Mark's handwriting. Ink was splattered everywhere too, as if he had written it all down on his hands and knees. Taking a closer inspection of the papers, she saw that the main subject of them all was Ninian.

"Mark!" She called out in a panic when her eyes met the back of his head. He was still writing, his hands covered in dried ink. She did her best to approach him without messing with the papers, tippy toeing between the small spaces where the ground was visible. She kept calling out to him, but he did not react to her. It took her reaching him and embracing him for him to recognize that there was someone else in the tent with him. "Mark… Please, don't do this to yourself."

"Lyn…" His voice sounded much weaker than she remembered. He slowly let go of the pen, letting it drop and splatter ink nearby. "I…failed you all."

"You did not, Mark! You should not blame yourself over this. It wasn't under your control. No one knew the dragon we were fighting was Ninian, not even Nils."

"You don't understand," he said, turning to face her. She didn't know how she had missed it before, but he looked exhausted. It was as if he had grown a year or two for him in days. Seeing him in that condition made Lyn want to hold him closer, but he would not budge. "It is my job to keep you all safe! You've all put your trust in me, letting me gamble with your lives because you trust me enough to know that I'll do my best to guide us to victory. Ninian trusted me, and I let her die! I need to understand why that happened so that I can prevent-"

"It wasn't your fault, Mark! No one blames you for what happened!"

"It doesn't matter if someone blames me for it or not!" For the first time since they'd met, he had raised his voice at her like that. He looked angry, but to Lyn, more than that he looked like a broken man. "It was my responsibility! Mine! Why aren't you mad?! You should yell at me! Gods know that I deserve it!"

There were many things running through her mind that she wanted to tell him. He had been there for her. She had to be there for him. Instead of saying, she chose to let him let it all out of his system. She held him close, held him tight. Because he was hunched over and sitting on the floor while she was on her knees, for once, she was also taller than him. He struggled, going on and on about it being his fault. Every time, Lyn felt her heart breaking more and more for him. And when he finally broke down, sobbing as he repeated "I'm sorry" over and over again, she held him even closer, letting him cry on her shoulder.

That was one of the memories she always held dear, for he had opened up to her in a way he had never done. It was then that she knew, without question, that she really liked him, maybe even loved him. As the days passed, she wanted to tell him too, but the opportunity never presented itself. Before she knew it, they had fought their final battle against the Black Fang and Nergal, and come out victorious. Ninian was even returned to them, which Mark confessed that he felt redempted because of it.

Lyn, Kent, Walace, Wil, Sain, and Florina were to return to Caelin. Mark wanted to go with them, but he had to return to Eliwood and Hector to Pherae and then Ostia. He promised Lyn that he would return to Caelin last, saying he had something important to say. With smiles on their faces, they parted ways. Little did she know that he would never reach Caelin. And as the days turned to weeks and the weeks to month, the light of the promise he had made dwindled down. She knew that something may have happened to him. She sent letter to Hector and Eliwood, hoping that they would know what had happened to Mark. They both said that when they last spoke to him, he was planning to go to Caelin. No one had heard from him since.

As the first year passed since they made that promise, Lord Haussen had recovered enough to continue his work. Thought she held him dearly, she did end up leaving Caelin. She never planned to stay there for more than necessary, though she did would still visit often, for her grandfather still lived and many of her friends served him.

Through the years, she continued to wonder what happened to Mark. She was worried that he had fallen ill or had been attacked on his way to Caelin. She traveled all around Elibe, hoping to hear anything about his whereabouts. Nothing. That is until a certain old man appeared, saying that he knew where Mark was, and showed evidence that he wasn't luring her into a trap. A scroll, which she had never seen before, was first presented to her. She was about to leave when the man pulled out a tattered old green cloak. It was, without a doubt, Mark's…

So much had happened since she found him again. Robin. That was his real name. Having had known him for so long under the name of Mark, she had a hard time calling him anything other than that. He didn't mind, though. His name wasn't the only thing that had changed about him. He was more expressive! He smiled much more, even when others distrusted him, and even laughed without a care in the world. It was as if he was an entirely other man, not that Lyn complained about it. She had changed too in six years' time.

But despite knowing that he was on her heart, she still couldn't tell him that. Not while they were once more in a state of war. He was the army's tactician once again. He was a busy man, more so when Isadora appeared and told them that the Black Fang, or what remained of it, was after him. She would have to put her own feelings on hold.

But Mark had a different plan. He kissed her. She kissed him back. It was a moment almost seven years in the making. She wished time would stop there to enjoy the moment. While that did not happen, they would share more in the future.

She was heartbroken when he was first attacked. Seeing him suffering and on the verge of death for days was something she never would want to see again. She vowed on that moment that once he recovered, she would be _his_ shield as well.

And that brings us to the proposal. They had just won the war earlier that day. The last thing she expected when Mark had told her that he had something important to tell her was that he would propose. Her cheeks flushed and eyes widened as he looked at him kneeling before head. She had been quiet for a long time, just looking at him as if to see if he was being serious or not.

"I never thought this far ahead," she told him. "With everything that has happened, I was happy just by being by your side. This… Marriage… It is beyond my wildest dreams! I don't care if you do not have a ring, my answer remains the same. Yes, I will marry you… Robin."

* * *

Covering the whole story of a game in a single chapter is hard, which is why I concentrated on vital parts of the story. Having it be a sort of flashback for Lyn made it work nicely, IMO.

I wanted to post this to hopefully get me back into posting more often, though it sounds like it'll be a busy few days for me with having to get a license, going to the dentist, getting a hair cut, and all the normal things one does after moving.

On to reviews!

 **XenoEmblem4TW** -Yandere is someone that is infatuated so much with someone to the point of being dangerous to that person and those around him. In other words, being super sweet to the person you like, but also being a psycho lol. It's a common Japanese term used in manga and such. Ho ho? Sumia and Chrom, you say? I'm interested in hearing what makes you think that.

 **Muggzy** -Glad you approve of that change. I like those two too, so I want to take advantage of them in the future. Same can be said of Raimi. She's shown up a lot more on this story, but her role is small. We'll see what the future holds for them all. I think the biggest thing is that Chrom won't feel the pressure of marrying anyone just yet. I have hinted at who his wife would be, but because of how things turned out, that has a chance of changing. That also means that I could have Lucina (future) be the child of Chrom and Sully, while in this timeline Chrom would marry someone else. Oh, the drama! Emmeryn working through the Valmese war will be really fun to do. Because Walhart says that he took Emmeryn's last words to heart, maybe having her live could alter events on a massive scale.

 **Whatstoknow** -I know the feeling. Trying to read a story on a bumpy ride is never fun. I know what you mean about the spoilers. Even by reading the summaries when browsing stories, you could find massive spoilers. I had to avoid those like the plague before I got the game. Now that it's out in a lot more places, there are a ton more stories for Fates too. I hope no one ruins the game for you :S

 **potatoman098** -I had said before that I wanted to make shorter chapters to increase the rate I upload chapters. I mostly was talking about that. I don't think anyone has ever told me they wanted shorter chapters for this story. I think the people that like short chapters don't bother reading this in the first place lol. We'll see what I do. I do enjoy making long chapters. It's just a time management thing.

 **Yellowclover** -I do want to have a few chapters to explore relationships with characters, yes. Also, fluff is always good. With the war over, it'll be easier to do stuff like that. That's not to say that there won't be small stories going on. I do have some things that I want to do. I also want to change the narrator so that I can switch perspective in a chapter, something that I normally would never do. I want that so that I can have a lot of different characters doing stuff on a single chapter without having Robin be there. Like I said before, I have a ton of small idea bunnies in my mind and this will give me the perfect excuse to use them. I see what you mean by the whole blood thing. That does make sense, and it differentiates it from the blood magic I was talking about, where the caster is using their own life essence/vitality to cast a spell. That also links with Nergal's past, in a way. Also, remember what happened to Canas' brothers. They ended up as vegetables(?) after delving too deep into dark magic that they couldn't control.

 **AdvancedAlto -** To answer your questions without spoiling anything big: Yes, Ninian is married to Eliwood. Though, based on their ending, she is likely in a weakend state and could possibly die soon, as she was said to have died shortly after giving birth to Roy...that is unless someone does something about it *wink wink, nudge nudge* I've had a few ideas for Nils in the past, but I always keep pushing them aside. I know that I will bring him in at some point, preferably before Ninian and Eliwood are seen, but I need to flesh out my current idea. Oh, Armadas. I have a situation in mind that would require Hector to go get it again, but there are big consequences for that, mainly having to "pay" for its use. For this one, I can't say for sure when it'll happen.


	23. An afternoon with tea

So, moving has it's pros and cons. On the one hand, I get an office that lets me separate work from play. On the other, my days feel very much the same. This past month went by in the blink of an eye! Seriously, give me back my month! (But let me keep the pay!)

There's also so many distractions now! Overwatch, Dark Souls III, Bravely Second, Game of Thrones. Gah! Not enough hours in a day. Surprisingly, I've been writing more. You might not think so because it still took me a lot fo time to get another chapter, but I'm working on chapters for all my stories simultaneously, constantly writing and rewriting stuff.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. If you thought the last one was different, you'll be even more surprised by this one. Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think and to follow and/or favorite if you really like the story! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 23: An afternoon with tea_

The Shepherds along with the Feroxi and the Ostians had been slowly making their way back to Ylisstol. After returning to the Halidom's side of the border, they'd made stops along every town, village, and keep they came across on Emmeryn's insistence to see that her people were doing well. And whenever they stopped by, they would stop for days at a time, as the Ylisseans wanted to celebrate the safe return of their Exalt as well as the victory of the war. Every night, people would buy them all drinks or share meals and sing praises to them for their work. Or well, to most of them, at least…

It was in one of this small towns that they had stop that a group of Shepherds had decided to take a break in a small corner tea shop. The group sat outdoors, with the nice, cool breeze heightening their sense of smell and taste for the tea they each had ordered. What made this group interesting wasn't only who made part of it, but how they chose to spend their leisure time _while_ they were drinking their tea.

"I saw something _very_ interesting this morning," said the oldest of the group, a certain pinkette priestess, as she took a sip of her drink in order to drive more interest in her friends to ask about just what it was she had seen. As she expected, as soon as the words left her mouth, all eyes were on her. She could taste not only the honey of her tea, but also the anticipation of those around her. They knew as well as she did what they would be doing from then on. Satisfied, she set down her cup on the saucer in front of her.

"Well?" Lissa asked, seeing as how Serra had remained quiet. She knew that the older girl was baiting her, but she couldn't help it. Whatever it was that Serra had, it had to be juicy for her to bring up the conversation first. Lissa was usually the one that did it, though in her case she would blurt everything out from the very beginning. "Spill the beans! I wanna know!"

"Patience, Darling," said Maribelle as she set down her own tea cup, her eyes closed, but her head still pointing towards her best friend. "I'm sure that Lady Serra was trying to taste her tea some more before speaking. Such refinement, as it's to be expected of a true Lady."

Serra had noticed that Maribelle would give her credit for things she hadn't done. She wouldn't come out and _say_ she was wrong, seeing as someone had finally realised how good she was, but she still found it curious. She wasn't the only one that the blonde did that to. In the past, Serra had seen Maribelle do the same to Lord Kent and Lady Farina—the former one to be expected because, well, Lord Kent was the definition of a knight, but Lady Farina...even she had a hard time remembering she was married to a Marquess. Then again, there were times that Serra had to ask herself if Lord Hector knew he was the Marquess as well.

Pushing the thought aside, Serra cleared her throat to get ready. "Being somewhere exotic—to me—I find it very pleasant to explore the town we visit whenever the opportunity presents itself. This morning was no different. I wasn't expecting to do much other than some window shopping. So imagine my surprise when I saw a certain _someone_ go into a jewelry shop." They were all hanging onto her every word, just as she was expecting. She continued, "now, why would you think our dear tactician would go into such a place? Hmmm?"

"Robin isn't much for accessories," Sumia pointed out as she thought of the things she had seen the man wear before. She wasn't wrong. Apart from gloves and belt, Robin wasn't known to wear anything that would take him to a jeweler's. "Maybe he was asking for directions?"

Everyone stared at the Pegasus Knight incredulously, hoping she japed. But Sumia wasn't connecting the dots, so it fell onto her close friend, Cordelia, to point out the obvious. "I think what Lady Serra is trying to imply is that Robin was looking for _something_ to give a certain special lady in his life."

"Very good," said Serra as she nodded. Seeing as the story would take too long if she didn't explain things right out, especially with the anticipating eyes of Princess Lissa on her, Serra decided to be out with it. "I was curious too at first, having my own mind set on him finding something for Lady Lyndis since, as you've pointed out, Lord Mark has never one to wear precious stones or metals. But almost as soon as he had gone inside, he was ushered out by a man I can only assume was the owner of the establishment."

"What?!" Lissa looked agape towards the older priestess. She was already hoping to be able to tease Robin about buying a ring to see that rubbery thing he did with his face, but to hear that he didn't even get a chance to look at them before being shown the door troubled her. It was not right… "Why would he be kicked like that?"

"I'm afraid I wasn't able to hear or see what happened inside, milday. As I said, I was far from the door when I saw Lord Mark head inside. Seeing as he looked somewhat dejected, I wanted to approach him to talk about what had happened, but again I was too late. As if appearing out of thin air, Tharja was already next to him. He was as surprised as I was to see her there, it seemed. I'm sure it had to do with him sneaking there thinking he hadn't been noticed in the first place."

"That's… strange, isn't it?" Cordelia asked, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I don't know much about Tharja, but I think we can all agree that she has a little something for Robin. Not that I blame her, given how he saved her without knowing much about her before they fled Plegia, but still…"

It was true that most had noticed the dark mage stealing glances at the tactician in the past. When Lyn and Robin had finally admitted to be in courtship, the raven was the only one that hadn't smiled, though she didn't particularly seem mad about it either.

"That would explain why Tharja always follows after Lord Mark," muttered Isadora to herself, though the others couldn't help but hear her. All eyes turned to the paladin, who only noticed it after a few seconds of silence had already passed. "I'm sorry. Was it out of line of me to say this? I am still not used to conversations like this one, despite my time with Lady Eleanora."

"It's fine, darling," Maribelle was quick to say. "You are doing splendidly! But what is this about Tharja following Lord Mark? It's the first I hear about it."

"Now that you mention it, I've seen Tharja following Robin a few times too," said Sumia. "But she always kept some distance. Maybe that's why Robin didn't notice before?"

"Or maybe Robin is two-timing!" Lissa said with a malicious grin. Maribelle, though, wasn't having it.

"Lissa! Saying such a thing of Lord Mark after everything he's done…" She shook her head. "I refuse to think Lord Mark would do such a thing. He always looks at Lady Lyndis with loving eyes. To have a mistress… That is something I would expect from Virion if he ever were to seriously court someone or marry."

"Be that as it may, I think we are derailing here from the original point, ladies," said Serra as she tried to bring them back into her story. "As I was saying, I saw Tharja approach our tactician, so I decided to make myself scarce...or at the very least keep myself out of sight." Lissa and Maribelle nodded in approval. "And I happened to hear them talking. Though I did miss most of their exchange, I did hear Tharja tell him that " _a man that will be marrying soon shouldn't make a face like that,_ " before she walked away, Lord Mark chasing after her and asking where she had heard such a thing."

"Then Lord Mark _is_ planning to propose to Lady Lyndis," remarked Isadora. "The two of them always looked close during our time in Elibe. Being here and knowing more about milord, I can see why that might be. I'm happy for them to have found each other again, even if the circumstances were less than ideal."

"I'm sure they will be happy together too," said Cordelia. "But it makes you wonder, doesn't it? The two come from very different places and yet they may marry soon. Then there's a possibility that others will follow suit. There are more than a few people that came from Elibe with Lord Hector, after all. For instance, Isadora, you yourself have been with the Shepherds for some time. Has anyone caught your eye?"

"I beg your pardon?" Isadora was stunned. She hadn't expected the conversation to make a turn towards her own love life. Her cheeks heated up, though it was more for the attention and being caught off guard. She really had no idea what to say on the subject. "I-I don't know what would make you think I harbored such feelings for one of our fellow men-at-arms, Lady Cordelia."

"Yeah, Cordi and I saw you having a _friendly_ chat with Frederick the other day," said Sumia, whose tone wasn't teasing, but to Isadora, it certainly felt that way. "I think you two would make a lovely couple. You have so much in common!"

Isadora's cheeks felt like they were set ablaze, she averted her eyes from the others, finding her teacup to be awfully interesting, she fidget with it to calm herself. "Ser Frederick and I have similar interests, which come from our work. And I won't deny that he is a handsome man. ButI see him as a good comrade, and nothing else. I assure you."

Lissa saw this as an opportunity to confirm something. She smiled cheekily to herself and then said, "yeah, I believe you, Isadora. Frederick is nice and everything, but he can be too stern most of the time. It doesn't help that he spends waaay too much time worrying about many things concerning my brother. Besides, I think you and Legault make a _way_ cuter-"

"That can never happen." Isadora's voice turned serious, though there was a small hint of sadness in it. Her eyes stayed on the cup, not wanting to give away anything. Though, long ago, she felt something for the thief and was sure he felt something for her too, she had been engaged to Harken. And even after breaking off her engagement, there was still one thing that would always stop her from pursuing a romantic relationship with The Hurricane. "Master Legault is of Bern… And I am a knight of Pherae. It would bring dishonor to my house for us to… It can't ever be."

 _I'm so stupid_. Lissa berated herself over and over again for bringing that up. She should've known better. She knew how their story would end… _Wait a second… Will things still be the same?_ In the stories she had read, they never made mention of the heroes traveling to Ylisse. If they did, there was never any mention of it. This could mean that things _could_ still change. Not only could Isadora's love flourish, but there were so many other things that could change too! There could still be a chance for Ninian to be healed, Farina wouldn't have to die giving birth to a stillborn child, Canas and his wife wouldn't die during a snowstorm, and! And! There were _so_ many things that could change now! If they had all come and helped the Shepherds, it would only be fair for the Shepherds to help back!

"I thought Legault and Panne were together, though," said Sumia offhandedly, leaving everyone on the table with their jaws dropped. Not only had Sumia failed to notice Isadora's seriousness, but bringing a comment like that after everything? Well, it wasn't the best. "They spend a lot of time together."

Maribelle was quick to try and resolve the situation, not sure what Isadora was feeling because of her blank stare. "I doubt they are in _that_ kind of a relationship. Panne mostly bickers at Legault, though I do admit that I've seen them together more often than not. I believe they are of the mind to keep their friends close and enemies closer."

"Doesn't Panne argue with pretty much everyone?" Lissa asked.

"Panne is a nice girl," Cordelia was quick to defend her friend. "Her particular situation makes her wary of humans, so I understand why she would be offended by some of our customs. But still, once you get to know her you see that she is a very pleasant person to be around."

"Master Legault is a tease," said Isadora, her features softening. "It can rub people the wrong way, but he is a nice man still. I hope they get along, if they do decide to pursue courtship."

 _I can't take this! Think, Lissa, think! How can we change to topic to someone else?_ It hit her quick, though it would be at the expense of her best friend. But it was still better than talking about Legault in front of Isadora. The princess swayed in her chair, looking at Maribelle. "What about _you_ , Maribelle?"

Maribelle arched one of her eyebrows. "What about me, darling?" She brought her teacup to her lips.

In her mind, Lissa apologized to Maribelle. She had been wanting to ask her about the subject before, but hadn't had a chance to do so. This opportunity was the perfect excuse to do so. "I've seen you spend a lot of time with Lord Kent lately. Are _you_ pursuing anything with him?"

Even with years of practice and refining her skill to be an ideal Lady, Maribelle was close to spitting out her tea. With much effort, she swallowed the drink that had turned sour and sent a cold stare towards her best friend, forcing a venomous smile. "What could you ever mean by that, dear Lissa?"

"W-well," Lissa avoided eye contact, some cold sweat forming on the back of her neck. "I've seen the way you look at him. That and you are always offering him help to make his way around town and stuff."

It was Maribelle's turn to have burning cheeks. She clenched her jaw, feeling discomfort. She certainly wasn't thinking about that. She would admit to finding Lord Kent interesting, since he was, as the tales had always described him, a true knight and lord. He was similar to Ser Frederick and yet so different. "After coming all the way here and offering their help to us with the war, I thought it best to give back in whatever way I can. It's what Father would have asked for me. You are reading too deep into it, darling."

"She has a point," said Serra, nodding alongside Maribelle. "Lord Kent can be stubborn in the subject of love. Many times have I presented suitable ladies for him, only for him to reject them. I tell you, the only way that man would take a wife is if the Marquess forced him to."

"Then what about Matthew?" asked Cordelia. "He too came from Ostia and seems to be getting along with others just fine. Maybe he will find someone here in Ylisse to-"

"No, no. Matthew is still not ready for a new relationship. He hasn't been interested in anyone since Leila…"

"What about Lady Fiora, then? She is beautiful and strong. I've seen many of the men eyeing her when she is not looking. I expected Virion to be all over her from everyone else, but he since he started talking with Olivia, he hasn't flirted with anyone else."

"Lady Fiora married to Ser Sain years ago," said Isadora. "From the letters I exchanged with her, the two have been very happy with their marriage. I was surprised to not see him come to this side. Do you know why that is, Lady Serra?"

Serra shook her head. She herself had been wanting to ask about it, but Oswin had told her not to poke her nose in someone else's affairs and cause unnecessary trouble. He reminded her how she had once overheard Lady Farina tell Lord Hector that he wanted to keep the Pegasus Sisters for himself (this being long before the two married). Spreading that rumor had been a big mistake. Fiora dismissed it, knowing better than to trust a rumor, but Florina got even more nervous around Lord Hector after that. She would hide behind any of the nearby girls if she could, and, if she was left with no other choice, she would even use Lord Mark as a shield. "As far as I'm aware, Ser Sain remained in Ilia."

"It seems like it will only be Lord Mark and Lady Lyndis who marry between Elibe and Ylisse," said Maribelle.

"Not necessarily," said Cordelia. "Miriel and Canas have been spending most of their time together. I think there might be something-" The Pegasus Knight stopped herself when she looked at the shocked faces of Sumia, Lissa, Serra, and Isadora. It seemed that the only other one that wasn't shocked by this was Maribelle, who looked as confused as Cordelia. "Wh-what's wrong? You all look like you've seen a ghost."

Serra was the first to snap out of it, laughing nervously. "Oh, Cordelia. I'm sure you were mistaken…"

"I've seen them talk fondly to one another…"

Serra felt like someone had jabbed her. No. It was more like a certain Druid's wife had done it. Though Canas' wife was lovely, she was also… Well, the two made an interesting pair. It couldn't be that Canas would engage in an affair… Could it? "It-it can't be! Cordelia, you don't understand! Canas is _married_! And his wife," she visibly shivered, going as far as shaking her fists and head. "We _must_ make sure nothing is going on between those two. I fear what might happen if _she_ ever finds out."

Once Serra stood up, the rest followed suit. Finding the two scholars in the small town flooded by thousands of soldiers would be easier than one would expect, and that was because the two spent most of their time in Miriel's tent. Because of the size of the army, not many would have the chance to sleep in the local inns, which was why they would always setup camp at the outskirts of wherever they visited. Fortunately, the Shepherd's section of said camp was nearby. It took the group only a few minutes to make their way out town and find their way back to camp. There they saw Nowi and Gregor talking with one another.

"Oh, hey everyone," said the cheerful manakete as she jumped to her feet and then duster her bottom off. Gregor remained seated, sharpening his blade.

"What brings big group to these parts, eh?" the mercenary asked as he looked at those that had suddenly come. He was so used to sharpening his blade that he didn't need to look at it for his hand to follow the ever so familiar motion. "You want to be doing the jibber-jabber with professors? Gregor not be recommending. The professors do much jibber-jabber that give Gregor headaches."

"You two where with them?" Sumia asked, understanding completely what Gregor meant. She knew Miriel for years, but conversations with the mage were difficult to handle. When they first met, Sumia thought that her love for book meant that the two could be good friends. She had approached the redhead to discuss as much since she always saw her reading. Unfortunately, those texts she read weren't novels, but tomes on magic (not surprising) and scientific journals. The two did become friends in the end, though they weren't as close as Sumia thought they would be.

"Yeah, we left them alone a while back," said Nowi as she pouted. "Canas promised he would play with me, but then he and Miriel got into a discussion about something. Once they start, you can't really stop them. I'm waiting for them to come out, but I think it won't happen until dinner. Those two can go at it for hours and hours!"

 _Go at it?_ Resounded in the minds of many of the girls, some of which felt their cheeks burning hot when imagining what Nowi was saying.

"I can't believe this," said Maribelle, feeling more furious by the second. She walked past the girl and the older man to keep making her way to the tent, from afar, Nowi yelled at them to not bother, but no one would listen to that after what they had heard.

When they reach the tent, they could hear the voices of the two they were looking for coming from inside. It seemed like they were discussing something, much to (some) of their relief, just like Gregor had said. Maribelle and Serra were more than ready to walking in and put an end to the affair, but Lissa pulled them back, saying that they should listen in first to see if they could get more evidence of any wrong doing before accusing them of something so dishonorable.

"I was never one to appreciate the beauty of precious gems, but I have to say, this one possesses many traits that would put it in the category of beautiful based on the criteria I've learned about from gathering data." Miriel's voice came in her standard monotone. One could practically see her adjusting her glasses as she looked at whatever it was she was looking at. Lissa guessed that it had to be a piece of jewelry of some sort, perhaps a necklace, but Serra was imagining something along the lines of a ring. "Its shape, its color, its cut, and its transparency are all things that are would increase the price of a product such as this. This would fall above standard in all those categories, meaning that it would be considered to be beautiful."

Canas chuckled. "I'm glad you approve." There was some silence before the sound of rustling was heard. Serra couldn't help but think of Canas trapping Miriel between himself and the table, his hands on her waist and hers around his neck. "Because of the time we've spent together, I was able to rid myself of many frustrations. If I may be so bold, Lady Miriel, I am glad to have made your acquaintance."

"The sentiment is mutual. Though, you speak as if our endeavors together have come to an end. I was hoping we could continue gathering more information on the subject."

 _Don't let him fool you, Lady Miriel!_ Thought Serra. _He is a married man! He will break your heart!_

"My apologies, milady. Minds like yours are rare. It would sadden me to not share more with you. It would seem that the Marquess will keep us here for the time being. If you don't mind my company, then I too would like us to continue working together."

"Yes. Then let us not waste any time. I have some other…projects we could work on together."

"Very well, but before that. Why don't you keep this? A memento-"

Lissa felt like she couldn't breathe anymore. No matter which way she put it, she couldn't read the situation in any other way than two lovers talking with each other during a rendezvous. Not bothering calling out to those inside first, she simply burst in through the flap, her hands extended in front of her, as she yelled, "stoooooooooop!" One by one, Maribelle, Serra, Sumia, Isadora, and Cordelia made their way inside, each and every one of them wearing a frown.

"Ah, Lady Lissa! What a surprise to see you here," said Canas as he turned to face her. "Oh, what is this? Is there anything we can do to-"

"Stop the sweet talk, buddy!" Lissa interrupted, stabbing on of her small fingers on Canas' chest, who backed away in surprise. "I know what you are doing here!"

"Sweet talk? I don't follow, milady."

"Lady Lissa," Miriel called out, her brow furrowed at the interruption. "You are all disturbing a very important-"

"Miriel, you should be ashamed of yourself!" Maribelle said to the bespectacled woman. "Did you know that Canas is a married man?"

Miriel looked at Maribelle, the closest thing to confusion anyone had ever seen form her showing. She then turned to look at Canas, who stared back at her, his expression of confusion much more evident. "Someone's marital affairs are not of my interest, but the topic arose time ago. We went into an in depth discussion about it too. I found it fascinating. He also talked of his mother and his son."

Cordelia gasped, looking at Miriel in shock. She only knew Miriel for a short time, but from the times they had sat together for supper, she seemed like a respectable woman. To think that she would do such a thing! "A son?!" she felt herself say. "You would do this with a man that's married and has a son?! I can't believe you, Miriel…" She turned to face the druid. "And you! What kind of man would do this?! How could you do this when you have a family waiting for you to return home?"

"Sh-sh-she won't be happy about this!" Serra told herself. "Not at all!"

"I think there is a misunderstanding here," said Canas, who had been forced to back up against the table.

"Don't play smart!" Sumia said, steaming. Everyone had been beating around the bush for too long. She would have to make it clear so that Miriel and Canas couldn't make any more excuses. If they heard that someone else knew about them, they would have to put a stop to their relationship. "You and Miriel are having an affair!"

There was silence, Canas and Miriel looking directly at Sumia while everyone else examined their reactions to see if they were breaking. The only reaction they got was the eyebrows of the scholars to raise and a hand going to their chins. "Your hypothesis is an intriguing one," said Miriel. "From the eyes of an observer who can't keep watch of our every interaction, I can see why you would come to such a conclusion. While I applaud your belief in said hypothesis, I already know the real result to your experiment: there's been a misunderstanding."

"Eh?" That was not the reaction they were expecting to hear. Lissa backed off, leaving Canas with enough room to breathe again and stand straight. He found himself chuckling at their reaction and the silliness of the whole thing.

"The relationship me and Canas hold is purely platonic, with a base on our mutual desire to further our knowledge; we have similar intellectual ground that we can share with one another that a normal person would dismiss to be " _jibber-jabber_ ", as Gregor would say."

"Lady Miriel and I have been working together on some research material that I've been meaning to explore for some time, but didn't have the information needed at my disposal back in Elibe," Canas added. "And I've also been helping her in one of her projects."

Miriel nodded. "Robin—Lord Mark—asked me to translate a scroll brought by Lyn from Elibe. Being from there, Canas has a better knowledge and understanding of ancient languages that I ever could."

"And Lady Miriel has been aiding me in my research of dragonstones." He waved them over as he turned to face the table, which was covered in different parchments filled with notes on the subject. On the center of the table laid a dragonstone. "Nowi was nice enough to help us filling in the blanks too, though I think she finds our conversations to be dull. It's true that my reason for being in Ylisse was to open the gate that connects our worlds, but as I found out more about dragontones and manaketes, I believed that I could create one for Lady Ninian to help her from weakening further. Ylisse has a larger magical essence than Elibe, making it ideal for magical experiments and infusion. I tried recreating a dragonstone here that we could hopefully take back intact. We had just finished the first sample a few moments ago."

"So when you spoke of something beautiful earlier…?" Isadora looked at Miriel.

"We merely talked about the dragonstone."

* * *

This time around I wanted to try using a more omnipresent narrator, which is why you see jumps in the perspective during the whole thing. I was planning on jumping eve more, to different events going on around camp and such, but I think this whole thing alone deserves to be on its own chapter, haha! It also leaves me with at least a couple more ideas for the next chapters, which is good.

This was a lot of fun to write. Going from funny, to serious, to a bit crazy. I'm curious to see what you guys catch on here.

On to reviews!

 **Whatstoknow** \- Seeing it now, there are more things I want to explore about the that time. I don't think I'll make another full-flashback chapter, but there are things that will be mentioned in the future about it or maybe smaller flashbacks. They are fun to write, since those that haven't played the old games get to see more or less what it was about and those that have get to see another side to the events they know.

 **Yellowclover-** It did go through, but I didn't get a chance to approve it until you posted it again xD Obviously I only left one since they were pretty much identical. There were two mini-stories that I teased here, one being Robin, Lyn, and Tharja, and the other was Panne and Legault. Those are coming for sure. I want to add more characters there too so that you all get an idea of what everyone is up to. So, the emotional breakdown. That has to do with it being over a year of him experiencing what was supposed to be an illusion. Also, it was a way to hint at his mental state _before_ he left Plegia with Tharja. To him, at that moment, everything felt real, even if he was to remind himself that it wasn't (but it really was real!) lmao, old man Hubba! No, Hubba isn't _the_ old man here. Nice try, though! The Valm Arc is defenetly going to be an interesting write, more so if Zephiel shows up as another reviewer said. It's something else to look forward to :P Very poetic way to end the review. For the voice, I know that Elimine is meant to be this religious figure, but I wonder: who did _she_ follow? Maybe that would be the voice's owner.

 **dragoon109-** Lyn is a very trusting person. It's one of the traits she inherited from being part of the Lorca. In Eblie, it was well known that her tribe was trusting and never lied. Then there's also the fact that the old guy had Mark's cloak with him as a sort of evidence to prove that he wasn't making everything up. As for your second question, well, if you read chapter 21 you got your answer, haha

 **allenVth** \- It was a very powerful attack. But don't think that because he pulled it once he'll be able to do it whenever he wants. It's something out of his control. It might never happen again. And there might also be repercussions to it too, though I can't reveal anything about that yet! I like throwing curve balls, and letting Emmeryn live is one of the biggest ones here. It wouldn't have felt right to have her die even after reinforcements arrived, if you ask me. Him leaving with Lyn was teased some time ago, but haven't said anything about it since. It was going to come up this chapter, but I decided to leave it for another chapter instead. While Lyn _is_ Lady of Caelin, in the game, she never takes the title. Even here, when she is first introduced, she tells Robin that she left Caelin in Hectors care. It could be, as another reviewr said, that Hector gives it back to Lyn if she returns. Lyn and Robin could also go back to the plains, as Lyn had first asked Robin. Or they could stay in Ylisse. For all that, you'll just have to keep reading ;) Hahaha a third one, you say? I feel like a lot of people either hate Lucina already or hate me for writing her trying to kill Robin twice already xD one more time and something's gonna give.

 **Rayne Thanatos** \- Thank you very much! Glad you like it! Lucina has it hard because she is not incredulous to Chrom's and Robin's friendship. She might've gone the wrong way around fixing the future, but I think anyone in her shoes would've done the same. Hector, well, he always be the badass in my eyes. I thought about making Robin be a reincarnation, but then there wouldn't be such an emotional attachment between Rekka no Ken characters and Robin. There are a few things I need to polish out about it in the future, though. The whole cast will show up, eventually. I'm trying to introduce characters gradually so that people that don't know the game are overwhelmed. That and so that they all some time in the spotlight. Ah, Zephiel. I know I want him to show up at some point, but I wonder when? Mostly because I've been thinking that I might continue the story (with a time skip) to the FE6 story.

 **Defcon Deceiver** \- Well, Lissa _is_ still pretty young. She might understand the wrong doing, but she still had to speak up because to her, things had already been forgiven. You are right to say that if the show was on the other foot, her experience would be way different. Tharja has to get more credit for what she's done. She not only brought Robin back from doubt, but also brought down a king with her words. Badass. I made Aversa exit the scene in such a way that she is stuck a bit in limbo. She could come back. She might not. That'll be up to future me to decide and work her in. Gangrel, well, like you said, I don't see a point in keeping him around. He is a character I love to hate, which is why he is fun to write, but there is no reason for him to come back. I would've preferred they made DLC for Phila and for Gangrel. For Robin, he would know that the soldiers aren't fighting for him, but he knows that they are dying because of him. Like you said, he always feels like he could've done more to save them, especially because of his ability. No matter what, he'll always feel guilty. Lissa, Maribelle, Brady, and Libra using combat-light magic is something I discussed with Yellowclover. There are certain things that they would need to go through to use it, but I won't restrict myself by making them only be able to use it if they are x or y class. I see the good of both sides when it comes to romance. If you start off knowing who is getting together, you can plan out events for them and such. If you don't you'll end up with interesting couples. In this case, I really have to put thought into everything because I wasn't originally planning for a "harem" here. _If_ it happens, I don't want it to feel forced. All parties should agree to it, or something like that. For killing characters, I know why people like characters having epic deaths, but honestly, that can't happen with everyone. I'm not saying someone'll die by falling down the steps. When they die, it'll happen like it would. One moment they are there, the next they're not. I rather focus on the effects of their death rather than what caused their death. There's probably going to be characters that die before they become parents. That's the reality of messing with time travel. There are consequences to think of. Like I said before, their parents on this time line might not even end up with the same people they did on the future time line. Giving Lyn closure for what happened in her tribe is something I do want to do, but I need to see about getting her and the others back to Elibe first. I already have a couple of ideas on how to go about it, but I need to work my way there first. I can see Hector offering Caelin back to Lyn, yes. The question is, would Lyn take it? She never had aspirations to be a noble. In the game, after her grandfather passed away, she returns to the plains and is never heard from again, probably because that's the place her parents chose to live. It's something to think about, and can change the story drastically depending on what she chooses to do. As for the scouring, I have things planned that'll explain some of the history behind it, though it won't come up until much, much later.


	24. Preparations needed

Hello, everyone! I'm back again with another chapter!

The reception for the last chapter was better than I expected, to be honest. I wasn't sure if you guys would like it because I switched the style so much with it not being locked in one perspective. I gotta say, having tried both now in the same story, I can see more clearly the benefits and limitations that each option has. While not locking perspective helps with how fast I can write since I can jump to another character if I feel stuck, I think you get much more of a character's psyche and personality across on a locked perspective.

This chapter was nice to write, but it did take longer to write than it should have. I wanted to get it posted at the end of last month, but I kept going over it again and again to fix little things that I lost track of time. Still, it's still early in the month. I want to try and push myself to post another chapter before the end of the month. Wish me luck on that!

Anyways, hope you guys like this one! Remember to leave a review to let me know what you guys think about it (what you think worked and didn't work). Also, if you haven't already done it and you really like this story, add it to your follows and/or favorites! The more it has, the more exposure it gets, and that just makes me happy, hehe. Enjoy~

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 _Chapter 24: Preparations Needed_

For being worlds apart, the differences between the Ylissean plains and those of Sacae were minimal; nothing but grass and the odd tree as far as the eye could see, or at least that was the case from the angle Lyn was sitting, as the town the army had stopped by could be seen some distance away behind her. It was a calming experience to be able to enjoy a relaxing time after everything that had happened since she joined Robin and the Shepherds in their cause. The sound of the breeze waving the grass and rustling the leaves of the tree she was sitting beneath was very calming. It greatly reminded her of the plains she grew up in. But what made it all the better was the man she was resting her back against with his arms wrapped around her in a tender, yet firm manner that added to the relaxing atmosphere.

This was one of the few times they'd been able to spend a morning together without having to worry about being interrupted or seen. In the case of Robin, he'd spoken with Phila, Frederick, Raimi, and Oswin the day before so that they could divide his work evenly, running them through all the logistics and paperwork that needed to be taken care of for the single day. As for Lyn, she had spoken with Chrom the day before, saying she would be missing sword practice, which the prince understood too well, and even teased her about going on a date with her now fiancé. Lyn wasn't embarrassed to admit it, however—the teasing didn't have much of an effect on her. If anything, she enjoyed hearing someone else refer to Robin as her fiancé. Thinking about it, it was surreal even for her to call him that given that only a few months prior she was still looking for him in Regna Ferox. _And soon I will be calling him my husband._

There, beneath the shadow of the tree, the two lovers relaxed all the while their smiles wouldn't leave their faces. They cuddled in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and warmth—both had left behind their armor back in their tent seeing as how the perimeter of the town had been secured from any Risen threat, but taking their coats to protect them from the cold that had started to take over Ylisse. It was good to see Robin wearing his old cloak again, although she wondered if she would ever see him wearing a green one like the one he wore when they first met.

This was bliss for Lyn, who had never thought the two would share such a moment or even advance her relationship with Robin so much in a short time. While she was happy, she also wished they could have been like that back in Elibe, six years prior. Then again, if they had, it would have been much more painful to have Robin disappear without warning than it had been back then...

The greenette turned to look at the tactician, who was looking out into the distance. He looked serene. She was glad to see it. For weeks, even with the war over—work aside—it seemed that he'd been having a hard time in Ylisse. They spoke many times about it as she wished to understand what was bothering him so. He hesitated, but her persistence and stubbornness eventually won over. He explained that there were some Ylisseans that still resented Plegians. It wasn't the first she heard of it. Sully had shown as much during different occasions albeit not for some time now. Vaike didn't seem to like Plegians either, but he was better at not showing others his thoughts than Sully was. Robin said that even with the war having seen its end, its occurrence solidified the hate against Plegians that some people felt since the crusades. He tried to brush it off by reminding her that she too had it hard back in Elibe, with the discrimination against Sacaeans, but that didn't ease her mind. If anything, it worried her more. She understood how tiring and painful it could be to discriminated against for one's heritage. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything she could do about it except comfort him and talk to him about it in hopes that it would ease his mind.

She'd asked Chrom about it during one of their training sessions before, hoping that he would know a better solution. The prince seemed to be oblivious to it, saying that Robin nor Tharja ever said anything about it to him or anyone else and when they were with him walking around town, villagers and townsfolk wouldn't show any negative feelings towards the black mages. Still, he was not surprised to hear about it nonetheless. "Even if they both had a direct role in saving Emm, people won't see past their hate," the prince had said. "All they see are Plegians that are waiting for an opportunity to stab us in the back. I can't say that the hatred will disappear soon either. It's been a long time since the crusades ended and there is still animosity between our nations for it."

"Can nothing be done about it?" she'd asked, hopeful, but already knowing that the likely response would be "no".

"Emm has been thinking of offering the mantle of Grand Master to Robin, for all his efforts during and before the war. It is an important title and position in Ylisse that would grant him some authority, a sit in the council, and a small piece of land. Something like that could show the people that they shouldn't judge someone simply for being Plegian, at the very least. And if he named Tharja as one of his retainers, she too would be eventually accepted...I think. That would get them some respect from some folks, but others… I can't really think of any other short term solution that would solve the problem as a whole. And even this solution depends on Robin accepting the role of Grand Master. You and I both know how stubborn Robin can be when it comes to titles."

Noticing the stare of his beloved, Robin turned to face Lyn. His smile grew wider before he planted his lips lightly on hers and held them in place for a moment. She beamed at him, pushing herself closer to him and sighing in satisfaction as he pulled his lips away. She thought it best not to worry about those things for the time being. This was a rare opportunity—one she wished they would have plenty more of in the future—for them to be alone for a whole day. She refused to ruin the mood by bringing up the topic if she could avoid it.

Instead, she focused on something else as Robin went back to looking out at the plains and tightened his grip around her slightly, just enough that she could feel it, but not enough that it was uncomfortable for her. The ring that decorated her left hand came to mind. She'd worn the same earrings for most of her life—they were the same ones she was currently wearing—and even those were by her mother's insistence. It was safe to say that Lyn didn't think much about accessories or even fashion. And yet, she loved having that ring on her finger. It was of a simple design; a gold band with an emerald on top. "To match your eyes," he'd told her the day he kneeled before her to present it.

Offering a ring for an engagement wasn't a tradition that the Lorca held. Then again, arranged marriages were also common among her people. She had to count herself lucky to be able to choose who she would marry. She'd told Robin that he didn't need to go through the trouble of getting her a ring, but he insisted on it. No one would have expected it to become such a difficult task to obtain a ring. Four times he tried, and four times he'd been kicked out of the stores. It seemed that no one was willing to sell to a Plegian. She tried to convince him again to dismiss the idea, but it was in vain. "I'll try something else," he muttered to himself one morning as he left the tent after they'd broken their fast. Lyn wasn't sure if she should've worried or not for the brunette, but she decided to leave him be. If something happened again she could insist once again for him to forget about the ring.

Well, he did do something else. He'd crafted it himself! While the goldsmiths and jewelers wouldn't listen to his request, a blacksmith did. The blacksmith told Robin that he'd grown too old and that he didn't have the patience or finesse to craft the ring himself, but that he was willing to teach Robin how to make one from scratch. And so, the tactician went to purchase a necklace from Anna, who was more than happy to offer a selection of different necklaces. Robin said that he was glad he'd bought a necklace instead of a ring from the trickster seeing as she might've tried to get more gold out of him otherwise to keep the secret of the engagement.

For two whole days, she barely saw Robin. He would leave earlier in the morning and return later at night, too tired to do anything but lay on the bedroll and sleep. He also made sure to not let anyone see where he was going—she would ask if anyone had seen him, but they would only see him leaving and returning to camp like her. On the third day, he handed her the ring.

Yes, Lyn wasn't much for jewelry. But that ring, she was ecstatic to wear—so much so that she would only take it off when bathing. She would treasure it, not only because of its significance, its beauty, or the fact that it was given to her by the man she loved, but because he'd gone through the trouble of learning a new craft to make it himself and present it to her. From touching the imperfect surface of the ring she could imagine him working meticulously on the small piece. It was proof of how much he cared about her. It was her treasure.

She was brought back to reality when she heard a thunderous crunch. She looked to her left to see Robin chewing on an apple, still holding the fruit close to his mouth. He looked at her as he chewed and raised an eyebrow, offering her a bite. Without taking the apple from his hand, she too took a bite out of it. It was juicy and sweet. The two chuckled to themselves and then continued eating the apple between them.

"This place reminds me of home," Robin unexpectedly said, tossing the apple core a side and cleaning the juices left on his hand on the soft grass. Lyn was surprised to hear that. Though he had said before that he'd lived in a non-desertic area, she never expected him to be somewhere quite like that. "Well, except that it was much warmer and there were far more boulders around. When I was a kid, at times I didn't have that much energy to do farm work, I would always find shelter under a tree like this and take a nap or play with the other kids to see who could climb the largest boulder."

Lyn chuckled as she tried to picture a younger version of the tactician doing those things. From what he said, it seemed to her that he'd gotten a normal childhood, which shattered the picture she had of a young Robin surrounded by books, reading, much like she would find him from time to time in their tent. "It's hard to imagine you without a book by your side," she commented. "Don't take it the wrong way, but I can't think of a time when you were on your own and doing nothing, both during our time in Elibe and since we met in Ferox."

"It couldn't be helped." He shook his head as he turned to look up at the rustling leaves of the tree above. "When at war, you hardly find a moment to take a break. There are always things that need to be taken care of by someone. Back then I didn't fight. It was only fair for me to do those things to help everyone. Now I do it because I'm used to doing the work. Still, I think you are wrong. I've always been able to relax when I'm with you. That also goes for our time in Elibe as well as here."

"You never mentioned it back then…" She averted her eyes, a slight blush dusting her cheeks as she squeezed his forearms. She also felt the same towards him. That was why she sought him out so much back then and why she continued to do so after he'd disappeared. But now they were together. She could enjoy the calm of his aura wash over her while her heart fluttered in her chest by his touch or his voice.

"But I am now." He held her chin with one of his hands and moved to face her. He kissed her again, this time lasting longer and with more passion than the last. She turned her body around, wrapping her arms around his neck, a hand on his hair and the other touching the back of his neck. The two stayed like that for a while, deepening the kiss. They would separate every so often for a second to catch their breath, but ultimately, their lips would find each other again and they would continue to kiss. He would press his tongue against her lips, and she would gladly let it slip and tangle with her own. With no one but them around, they could finally enjoy each other's company to their hearts' content without worry.

This was bliss for them both.

Alas, they were only human, and with the hours passing by, hunger and thirst got the better of them. Having only packed enough for breakfast, the two were forced to head back to town, much to their disappointment. It wasn't all bad, though. They would still be able to spend their time together. The change of scenery wouldn't put a damper on their day, especially with the town they were currently visiting. The small town was the definition of peaceful. There were crowded areas, thanks in the most part to the presence of the Shepherds, the Feroxi and the Ostian soldiers that the town's people wanted to see, but they were orderly and not overly loud about it. This also helped in keeping the attention away from Robin. in other towns, he'd received hateful stares and comments from the locals if he was ever in a public place, which he would try to brush off with a laugh, but Lyn could still see those words cutting deep into him.

The large army's presence also made it difficult to find a place to have lunch. The stalls that lined the streets were empty, their produce long gone, not allowing them to buy something to take with them and eat elsewhere. The restaurants and cafes were full to the brim, some with waiting lists of over an hour long. It would seem like the pair would be forced to return to camp on an empty stomach and scavenge for whatever food they could have. Just as they were giving up hope, someone called out to them.

"Robin! Lyn! Over here!"

The two looked around until they found a certain pigtailed princess waving at them cheerfully. Next to her sat Emmeryn, who joined the princess in waving, although, in a much more refined manner—Lissa was standing on her sit, waving both arms up in the air, while Emmeryn waved at them from her sit. The lovers decided that the least they could do was walk over there and say hi.

"Wait a second!" Lissa exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked at the two of them. Not understanding what was going on, Lyn stopped in her tracks, followed by Robin, who raised an eyebrow at the girl. He was about to say something when Lissa gasped. "You _did_ propose! You proposed and you didn't even tell me you were going to do it?! And here I thought we were friends! Meanie!"

It took a second for Lissa's words to sink in. Robin had proposed long ago, but neither he nor Lyn had brought it up with anyone other than Chrom and Florina since Robin had said he wanted to get her the ring before telling the rest. The sudden reaction of the blonde made sense now.

"Come on, Lissa," said Robin with an apologetic smile. "I only gave the ring to Lyn this morning. We left camp to have some time to ourselves too. You two are the first people we've seen all day aside from one another."

Lissa squinted her eyes at Robin, but seemed satisfied enough with his answer. She nodded in approval as she jumped down to her sit, plomping herself down on the wooden chair with some difficulty because of her dress. "That's good enough of an excuse. I'll forgive you, but don't think I won't be asking for details, mister!"

Emmeryn chuckled, looking at the two standing before her and offered them a smile. "It seems congratulations are in order," she said. "I'm glad to see something so beautiful come out from the war. I hope you two have a happy life together."

"Thank you, Emmeryn." The Blade Lord bowed. "It is very kind of you to say that."

"Why don't the two of you join us for some lunch? It looked like you were trying to find a table when Lissa spotted you. That is, unless you don't mind us intruding on your date."

"Not at all! We'll be happy to take a sit with you both. Right, Robin?"

"Sure. Thanks for the invitation," said the brunette as he took one of the open sits, Lyn taking the other.

"Speaking of invitations~" Lissa sang as she leaned in closer to the table and rested her head on her hands. "When's the wedding! I need to mark it on my calendar. Oh, but I'm still expecting to get an invitation. It doesn't count if you just _tell_ me the date, you know?"

"Then what's the point of telling you in the first place?" Robin asked, followed by him sighing and Lissa laughing, saying something about his face that Lyn couldn't quite catch. "We haven't had a chance to talk about the wedding much other than having it be a traditional Lorca wedding. I still have other responsibilities that take priority if we want to keep moving to Ylisstol."

"A Lorca wedding, you say? It sounds like it will be a wonderful experience for you both," said Emmeryn.

"You are familiar with Lorca weddings, your Grace?" Lyn asked, pleasantly surprised. Not that she should be. From the time she had spent talking with the Exalt, she seemed to know a great deal of things about every single topic that came up except for swordsmanship. For that, Chrom, Frederick, or even Lon'qu were better conversationalists. Well, maybe not so much Lon'qu, as holding a conversation with the man was close to impossible for a woman.

Lyn could clearly remember a time when she found the swordsman in a stalemate with two of the other notoriously quiet members of the army. The exchange back then, if it could be called that, was more through eye contact than words. Lyn had been looking for Florina—she wanted to tell her about Robin proposing—when she found Lon'qu, Florina, and Olivia staring at each other, but not saying anything. Florina and Olivia were blushing madly, while Lon'qu gritted his teeth. None of them said a word. Lyn, curious as to what was going on, also remained quiet to see things unfold… Nothing did happen, even after ten minutes came to pass. It was only when she made her presence know to talk with Florina that they came out of their paralysis.

Florina explained that she had been practicing her dancing techniques with Olivia when they stumbled onto Lon'qu. The three had shot away from each other immediately. Being embarassed to be caught like that, Florina said nothing. Olivia, who was also telling her version of the events, said that she too was too embarrassed to be seen dancing sloppily that she found her voice had left her. In the end, Lon'qu took the distraction as an opportunity to run away.

"I've read that the different tribes of the plains had different styles of weddings," Emmeryn explained. "There were mentions of some of the traditions of the Lorca in old story books I read as a child, but it seems that most of the knowledge was lost to time- Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."

Lyn shook her head. "Please, don't worry. It is nice to hear someone talk about the Lorca so kindly. As the last of the Lorca, it makes sense that the knowledge was lost. I witnessed a few weddings myself as I was growing up, but there are things that even I'm not able to recall correctly. We used to have a chest full of important documents that included texts on traditions back in my tribe, but it was stolen along with the lives of my parents and the rest of my tribe…"

As if sensing the sadness that she wasn't showing, Robin squeezed her hand gently. "Why don't you tell us about what you remember? We can try filling in the blanks of everything you don't remember as best we can."

"Yeah! Good idea, Robin," said Lissa cheerfully. "But before that, let's order some food. I'm starving!"

They went on to discuss the details while they waited for their food, during the meal, and even after it. It seemed that a Lorcan wedding was much simpler in terms of what was needed to hold one. Though many of the items would have to be custom made, they would still be cheaper over a traditional Ylissean wedding or even a Plegian wedding. But the one thing that stood out over the rest was the location for it.

"The outdoors?" Robin repeated as he picked at a piece of cake that Lissa had forced everyone to eat so they could stay on the table without annoying the waiting patrons. "Can it be anywhere outdoors?"

"I'm can't say for certain. Being part of a nomadic tribe, all the weddings took place in different areas, but they all had a view of the sky. Then again, the Sacaen plains are vast. You could go anywhere and still find a spot that would fit the description," Lyn explained.

Emmeryn hummed as she held her chin in thought. "It would be safe to assume that open plains would be the safest choice. I wonder… Have the two of you visited the outskirts of town yet?"

"We spent our morning there," Robin affirmed with a nod.

"Oh! I see where you are going, sis!" Lissa grinned before turning to the couple. "Then, you would agree that it is the _perfect_ place to hold your wedding, right?"

Lyn gave it some thought. During her time with the Shepherds, she'd seen many areas that would fit the description she gave. The Halidom wasn't lacking in any of those. But from them all, she did have the best experience in that one specifically, be it because she'd been able to enjoy it with Robin or because there was peace at last, she didn't know. "I don't know if it could be called the perfect spot, but it does fit the description, yes."

"Theeeeen~ Why not have the wedding here!" Lissa grinned from ear to ear, looking like she had just made the most important discovery of the century.

"It is a great place," Robin agreed. "Maybe after things settle down, we can look into it some more."

"Wha! Why wait! You should get married while we are here! It would be a hassle to go back to Ylisstol and miss this _perfect_ weather, wouldn't it? Besides, almost everyone you know are gathered here already. It's your best chance."

"Calm down, Lissa. Even if you say that, we don't have anything prepared. From clothes, to music, to tents. Not only that, I don't have that much pocket money right now. Combining what Lyn and I have, it would take us another month at the very least to pay for the bare minimum, and that is if we put every piece of gold we get into it."

"Then allow me to take care of paying for it," said Emmeryn.

"I-It's very kind of you, Emmeryn, but I couldn't-"

"You would deny me the honor of doing at least this much for the man and woman responsible for saving my life?" Lyn didn't know what to say… She certainly was grateful, but was it alright to allow the Exalt to pay for something like that? Back in her tribe, the wedding would be paid by the families of the bride and groom, though the guests would always pitch in with work or food to lessen the burden. "I think this wedding is long overdue, going from the stories I grew up with. The two of you have waited long enough. Why wait any longer?"

Both Robin and Lyn looked at each other and blushed. It was true that she had dreamed of something like that during her time in Elibe, though it was more of a literal dream than something she frequently wished for or sought. "I think… I think we should do it," Lyn whispered to Robin.

Robin rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose you are right. If it's going to happen eventually, might as well be now. No time like the present. Though, with everything that has to get done, it would take at least a couple of weeks and I don't want to overstay our welcome in town."

"Don't worry, Robin," said Emmeryn. "I will arrange things to cut down on time. There are good seamstresses here, from the clothes I've seen with Lissa. We can start looking into making Lyn's dress tomorrow, as it will take the longest of all to make. For now, let us discuss this on the morrow." She made to get up. It looked like Lissa was about to protest, but then she stood up too and smiled. "I'm sure the two of you have much to talk about. Enjoy the rest of your day."

And they did. For the rest of the day, Lyn and Robin did talk about a great deal. It seemed that because they would need to take care of different things, which included a present to one another during the ceremony. They wouldn't tell each other what the gift would be, but Lyn already had something in mind to give Robin. When her mother and father eloped, she'd given him a sword, which he used from then to the day of his last battle. Lyn thought that it would be a perfect present to pay tribute to her parents. Also, Robin didn't seem to have any sort of attachment to his swords. The first had been lost in the sand, impossible to find. And the one he got after that was a common steel sword, but it's state left much to be desired. Not only that, but she found from seeing him and training with him herself that his sword didn't match his fighting style—a unique style he'd created for himself after training with many different people. All she would have to do was find a blacksmith that could make the sword in a short notice. _Maybe the one that taught Robin to craft the ring could help._

"Is something wrong, Lyn?" Robin suddenly asked, catching the greenette off guard. "You've been quiet for quite some time now."

Lyn shook her head. "Everything is perfect," she assured him before planting a kiss on his cheek.

The night eventually came rolling in, meaning that they had to return to camp. There, during supper, the two announced to everyone (Lissa was quick to run the news through most of the camp since that afternoon) that they were engaged and were planning to marry in the next few days. With cheers and drinks, most everyone celebrated, especially those close to the couple, as Basilio and Flavia ordered for more drinks be brought to the mess tent. There were more than a few people ready to offer a helping hand for the wedding in whichever way they could, most notably Frederick offering to take over Robin's tasks around camp until after the wedding so that he could concentrate on other preparations instead. Lyn could see how happy Robin seemed to be.

"These people are the closest thing I have to a family," Robin had once told her. She understood completely, as she too felt the same way back in Elibe. And even in Ylisse, Lyn felt that she'd become close with a great deal of new people.

Robin did look surprised when Vaike came over and got him in a chokehold—he didn't actually choke the tactician—and congratulated him. Lyn wanted to see Sully do the same, minus choking her future husband, of course, but the knight never approached them. In fact, she had left the tent shortly after the announcement had been made. It worried Lyn. It was no secret that the redhead was close to Chrom, who in turn was Robin's best friend. Ever since Hector and the rest showed up, Robin and Sully had become more distant with one another, despite all the progress they'd made up to that point. Likewise, whether or not that was the root of it, Chrom and Sully didn't seem as close as they had once been since then. And there wasn't much Lyn could do about it… Sully would still be invited to the wedding, though her showing up was another matter...

"I don't blame Sully or anything," said Robin after Lyn had voiced her concerns. He'd taken her words to heart, it seemed. Lyn couldn't imagine Robin wanting things to remain the same, especially if Chrom eventually decided to propose to Sully—that is, if things did get better between those two. "It's difficult to approach her after what happened. That's all. The day we celebrated the victory against Plegia, when we sat together at the table? I couldn't even think of anything to say to her."

"She must be thinking the same thing," said Lyn. "I don't think anyone would like there to be animosity between themselves and someone they have to work with on a daily basis. From what I know of Sully, she can be stubborn. I don't think she will try to make amends on her own."

"I'm more than willing to extend an olive branch to her, but getting her to listen to me for a few minutes is easier said than done."

 _A few minutes…_ There had to be a way to have Robin and Sully talk with each other for a few minutes without interruptions. But how? If Chrom _ordered_ her to do it, as a soldier, Sully probably would, but that would defeat the purpose. It had to be natural. That's when it hit her.

"You want me to dance with Sully?!" Robin repeated, his jaw dropping slightly. He looked stunned, which was kinda cute, Lyn had to admit. "I don't think you know what you are saying, Lyn. She is the last woman I can imagine dancing, let alone dancing with me. Besides, wouldn't that make you uncomfortable? It's supposed to be our wedding. Shouldn't I dance with _you_?"

"It's one dance, Robin. I'm not asking you to do any more than that. She won't have a way to escape if you ask for a dance. If you pressure her a little, she will give in. Then you can use that time to talk. As for dancing with me, don't worry, we will dance plenty with each other. Back in my tribe, the groom and bride would have a dance together and then follow it up with choosing a guest each to share another dance before going back to each other for the next and then repeating the process. Those who start dancing will also pick a new partner each time, which could give Sully some time to mull over what you say before Chrom asks for a dance."

Robin was giving it a lot of consideration. It seemed that he was putting things together on his mind as well. "And how will you convince Chrom to dance with her? I don't think if you've noticed, but Chrom isn't exactly the most...forward when it comes to romance."

Lyn already had her response ready. "After you and I dance, I will chose him as my first partner and convince him of doing so. And if you chose Florina, then everyone will think that we are dancing with each other's best friend and nothing else."

Robin raised and eyebrow and grinned. "Well, look at you? You have a mind for tactics too, Lyn."

"I learned a thing or two while I lived with my grandfather from the maids that worked there and nobles that would visit," Lyn explained with a cheeky smile, but inevitably shrugged. "But I still rather leave that up to you. I've never been fond of manipulating people, this being an exception since it directly affects your relationship with someone else."

"Then I better make sure to make the best of this opportunity and not let it slip by," he teased.

As the small celebration began to wind down and everyone started to head to their own tents, Robin and Lyn decided they should retire too. The day had been everything both of them had hopped it to be. Sure, Lyn hadn't thought about planning so much for their wedding so early on, but she was by no means displeased with it. And what better day to end what had been a perfect date than by ending it the same way it started, with her resting her head on Robin's chest.

The two had stripped their boots and coats, leaving them aside in an orderly fashion, before laying down on the bedroll. Robin ran his fingers through her hair, which normally would make her go to sleep right away any other day. There was so much in her head that was keeping her awake, though. Not wanting to fall asleep just yet, she began to stroke Robin's cheek, noting how nice his smooth skin felt.

"This is all...really happening, isn't it?" Lyn asked suddenly. She felt Robin's hand stop for a second before he resumed the motion.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"It wasn't long ago that I was alone, still holding onto hope that you were alive and well—that I would find you and you would recognize me… And that everything would be like the last time we were together… Being with you right now is… It's just...surreal. Enough so that I sometimes think to myself that I must be dreaming all of this—that I'm still back in Elibe, sleeping in some inn or some forest as I continue looking for you…" She could feel her eyes beginning to sting. So silly. To cry for something that was only on her mind. She was supposed to be an adult now, following his example from his time in Elibe, and yet, despite being older than _he_ was she couldn't help it. She buried her head on her chest, her hand clutching onto the same, wishing that Robin would not see her in a moment of weakness like that. "...Please, let this not be a dream…"

Robin remained quiet for quite a while, still stroking her hair before he spoke. "When I was a child, I used to have these terrible nightmares. I would always wake up crying or too afraid to leave my bed. One day, my father told me that in dreams, everything you see is not real—you cannot feel anything physical. You sense things like the moisture or dryness in the air, the heat of a fire, or the pain of a great fall, not because it's really happening, but because your brain is telling you that's what you should be feeling.

"Tell me, Lyndis. What do you smell right now?"

She took a small whiff. "Many things," she answered, her voice somewhat muffled by his shirt. "I can smell the citrus coming from the scented candles that are burning, the dirt and grass from the outside, the smell of your books—that old paper smell that lingers around even if they are out of sight—and… I can smell you; the faint mixture of parchment, ink, ash, and sweat."

"Ah, sorry… I didn't think I sweated that much. That's embarrassing, but more to the point: why do you think I smell like ash?"

Lyn gave it some thought. From what she recalled, Robin had never smelled like that back in Elibe. The ink, parchment, and sweat had always been there, but ash? Had he been near a fire recently? No, he hadn't. She'd been with him the entire day to know that. If they had passed by a fire, the smell of ash would have stuck to her clothes too. Finally giving up, she said, "I don't know."

"I wouldn't expect you to. It is a smell unique to those that wield dark magic. Each school of magic has it's own unique smell. For anima casters, that further depends on which kind of spell the caster uses most often. Now, the reason I bring this up is because back in Elibe, I didn't use my dark magic. If I did smell like ash back then, Canas should have recognized it as a sign that I was a dark mage, and yet he did not. So, think about it, Lyndis. If this was a dream, how would you know about my smell?

"How would you know how me holding you would feel, if we never laid together like this?" He ran a hand up and down her back, putting enough pressure on it that she could tell what he wanted to say with it. She could feel it, not just sense it. She slowly brought her head up, noticing the dampness on his shirt where her eyes had been. With his free hand, Robin lifted her chin to allow them to see eye to eye. He smiled at her radiantly. "How would you know what it feels like when we do this?"

Like he'd done so many times during that day, he brought their lips together, sealing his argument with the most real kiss Lyn could've ever experienced. With that, all the doubts she had on her mind vanished instantly. It was true. She was there. _He_ was there. They were together. The finger that was running through his hair had an engagement ring, proof that they were to marry. The warmth of his body welcomed her, as if she was always meant to receive it.

"I love you so much, Robin," she said between kisses.

"I love you too, my dear Lyn."

* * *

Another Lyn chapter. I wasn't expecting to make another one so soon, considering I made one recently. I thought it would work better if I had the chapter for their date in Lyn's perspective over Robin's, considering everything she went through to find him. We'll be seeing more Lyn perspective chapters in the future, but I can't say when the next one will be. Next chapter I will go back to multiple perspective, but this time it'll be different, with characters having their own, self contained, chapter plots. Already have a few ideas for that. It'll make for a long chapter, I'm sure. This also takes me to ask you guys for some help: who do you guys want to see dance together? I'll include as many couples as you guys can think of, but some of them will only be mentioned in passing. If I see one that catches my eye, I might make something more out of it.

I found an old chapter I made for this story way back when I first started it out. It's actually a chapter that was meant to take place after the Plegian war, actually. Though nothing from it is usable now, I think it would be a shame to delete it or forget about it. Since it's not that long, I'll include it as a bonus of sorts on the next chapter (I won't publish it as it's own chapter to avoid confusion to those that don't react the author's notes.

Lastly, my birthday is coming up! It's actually on father's day, so I was thinking of making a small father's day chapter for this story centering around Robin and his family. It wouldn't be chronological to the rest of the story, and because this story evolves with each chapter, some of the things mentioned on it could become irrelevant in the future, but I think I still wanna do it. I mean, I see a few stories on ff centered on mother's day, but I can't think of any that celebrate father's day. I'll see if I can get it done on time. Little less than two weeks to get it done.

On to reviews!

 **Greyjedi449t** -hope you like it!

 **XenoEmblem4TW** -I so wanted to play more with the whole Serra thinking about them doing naughty things. Would have been funny xD Thanks a lot! And this chapter and the next couple should satisfy that desire for more Lyn x Robin moments.

 **Sugou** **xxx** -Silly things can happen when people don't see the whole picture, more so when they start jumping to conclusions. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! She did pretty much admit it, but keep in mind that the politics of Elibe are very different from those of Ylisse. I'm basing a lot of it on the possible endings for characters, so at the very least it's my take on it. And Serra is married to Oswin. Those two made the most sense to me, to be honest.

 **Whatstoknow** -Ah, those YouTube filled days. I'm very familiar with them. Too much so, I do admit. They are part of the reason why I take so long at times to get chapters done Dx Hope things are better over there!

 **Rayne Thanatos** -A bit meta that the characters of a shipping simulator are talking about shipping, haha. When Lissa remembers "how things ended up for them" I wanted to include the actual events, but it would have pushed the focus too far from what was happening. Maybe it'll come up again another time. The number of manaketes on this story keeps going up. Can't forget about Nils! Yeah, Fae would be the youngest of them all by far. I do agree that she would get along very well with Nowi. As for Nowi, she did explain in the game that she was "like a thousand" years old. I always assumed that she had to be over a thousand, but that's just me. Hmmm, Karel as Saint or Demon? Both of them are good because of different reasons xD I think it depends on the picture you want to paint of him. There is still a chance that the characters from the Black Fang (dead or not) might show up in the future. I already have a few things planned for a couple of them, so we'll see if that will include Ephidel too. I tried reading the manga after you suggested it, but I dropped it after a few chapters. I was disappointed to see that the focus was some random kid instead of one of the main characters from the game :/

 **Yellowclover** -Thanks a lot! I don't know if I would call it an ark just because to me, an ark should be pretty long. I know this will carry on for the next few chapters, but it will go back to a big ark sooner rather than later. Still, I'll have some fun with it, making the best of the chapters I do decide to overfluff. Because it was one of those things that had to be pushed aside for the sake of the main storyline, this is a good chance to bring it back. These chapters may have more fluff and silliness than the others, but they should all have some seriousness in them too.

 **JP I'm Italian** -Don't worry about it. As long as you post a review once after you read it all, it's all good in my book. Can't say why you thought it was complete xD Still a long way to go before that. Thanks, I really apprecaite the kind words c: I don't think I've ever heard of that Fic. I might search for it when I have some free time since it has a bunch of chapters. I was going to do that part, but because I wrote the whole chapter while I was on a plane, I didn't get the chance to do it. I think it'll still come up at some other point in the future, though, so don't worry too much about it. You'll get to see it eventually. Elibe is a mystery right now. The absence of Hector could cause trouble or maybe not. At this point in the game, there weren't concerns yet about the increasing hostility of Bern. As for Legault, he explained that he got his orders from princess Guinivere. Why? Well, that's still a mystery.

 **animeandgamerlover2** -Well, the wedding is happening a lot sooner than you might think! I don't know if they will get drunk, but there will be a lot of sex...probably. This a T rated story. Don't think you guys will get to see most of that xD

 **Defcon Deceiver** -The only one that I missed was talk about Florina being shipped with someone else. Oh well. I'm trying to keep both games true to themselves, despite the changes that I'm making. Based on the endings for Rekka No Ken, the society there is more like our own was during the middle ages, while Awakening's is much more modern. Those themes you mentioned will all be showing up more and more, especially when the story turns to Elibe. I can tell you that the dragonstone they are making is not a simple dragonstone. If it were, then they could just buy one or find one instead of making one. As for specifics, those will show up until Ninian receives the stone. Overall, I do think Aversa is an interesting character. I wouldn't mind bringing her back, which was why I left her fate open ended, but for that to happen I would need to plan for it, which to this point, I haven't done. I can see where you are coming from. Robin having a big family would be nice, I agree. Right now, I can say I'm not against the idea of a harem, though if it happens, I would want everyone on there to be accepting of each other and love each other too. When I see harems on other fics, it is usually all girls having a romantic relationship with the guy, but not with each other. I think I would want them all to be equals there. As for the sacking of Sacae and Lyn taking the title, it would make sense for her to do it if they knew that the events of Binding Blade are going to happen. As they stand, they don't know any of it, which leaves them tips the scales in favor or returning to Sacae over Caelin.


	25. The story of many (part 1)

**AN:** Let me start by saying, this is going to be a long Author's Note mainly because it's been so long since I last posted. Here we go.

So, I know a lot of you have been wondering where this story went, considering I haven't posted in six months. Well, a lot has happened since then and now. I got sick a few times, my family got sick, different groups of friends felt like I was neglecting them (I did), not spending time with family, getting swamped with work that toasted my brain, and even getting mildly depressed to a point that I didn't want to do anything at all, among other things. I burned out. That's the gist of it. I would write, read what I wrote, trash it, and start all over again. I would write little and far between, sometimes taking weeks before opening the doc again. Not the best.

Believe me that I did try, and even considered skipping over stuff simply because I could think of where I wanted things to get to and I had a better grasp on what I wanted to do from there on, but that felt like cheating to me, especially when I've setup some plot points that I wanted to visit _before_ I got to that other point in the story. So, I just kept writing and rewriting this until I wrote myself into a corner. I let this go cold.

About two months ago things started looking up. Once again I was flooding with ideas about what to write. It was cool! Except, none of those were about _this_ story. I read somewhere that writing can lead to getting past a writer's block, so I wrote down short stories based on promps that I never published (couple of GoT stories, and one for Dungeon Meshi). But it was only after I started publishing an Overwatch story that things kinda started falling into place again. It helped me get back to writing consistently, though much shorter chapters (between 4-5k each) but at a relatively constant rate. If you follow me as an author on here, you may have seen it already. Most of you didn't bat an eye, and for that I'm thankful, but it seems that there were a few of you that soured when they saw that getting updates over this.

Let me say this right now: I will **not** publish something I wouldn't enjoy reading, nor will I be pressured into publishing half-assed work. I'm writing this story the way I want. Don't think I won't continue a story simply because it hasn't been updated for a while. I need to be in a certain mood to get the writing style right for specific stories, which is why Uncertain Times hasn't been updated in almost a year. If I don't say the story is cancelled, just keep on waiting patiently for it to update instead of asking for updates or why I stopped on my other stories. I mean, at least publish the reviews on the story you want updated, ffs.

This was going to be a long chapter. Around 18k words long, which is why I was taking so long too. I say it was going to be that long because I'm splitting it into two halves, mainly so that people don't stop reading it halfway and never come back to it. This will go out today, the second part will be out next week to give myself a buffer to work on the next chapter. I was planning to have that one be a long one too, since it would be the wedding, but I may scrap a lot of the ideas I had in mind in favor of advancing the story at a better pace. I'll have to give it some more thought in the future.

I think that's enough ranting for now. My English may have gotten a little rusty from lack of practice. Please forgive any grammatical mistakes. Again, I appreciate your patience.

* * *

 _Chapter 25: The story of many_ _(Part 1)_

The day couldn't look any better with it's clear skies and overall good ambiance. It was the total opposite reflection of the man that was making his way around the tents of the army brought by the Marquess of Ostia. Said walker looked exhausted, as he should be after near constant riding for the better part of two weeks. His clothes were stained with mud and covered in dust, his hair was a mess, and he could feel a small stench starting to come off of his person. There was nothing more that he would like than taking a nice, relaxing bath somewhere and letting his sore muscles rest—perhaps fill his belly with some food and sleep off the rest of his tiredness, and if nobody would interrupt him it would be all the better. Unfortunately, that he could not do. Not just yet. Lord Hector had _ordered_ him to hand in a report on his return. Despite taking more people with him when he first left the camp, he'd dismissed all of them as soon as they returned. No need for them to suffer when he could make a report by himself.

When he reached the Marquess' tent, he allowed himself through the entrance, knowing that Lord Hector wasn't much for waiting or even formalities for that matter, especially when it came to information. Usually for these things, it would be only the two of them—on certain occasions Lady Farina or Lord Oswin would also be there, sometimes both of them at the same time. This time it was different. Instead of seeing the Great Lord, inside the tent stood a small gathering of major players of their army surrounding a table that displayed what they'd been told was the continent of Ylisse, its borders clearly market as well as the keeps, towns, and the rest that one would see on a map. It didn't take a genius to know the handiwork of Lord Mark—or should it be Lord _Robin_ now?

As he'd been expecting, Lord Hector was accompanied by his lady wife, who stood to his right. It was strange to see the Lady so… normal. Normal for a Lady, _not_ for Lady Farina. She would usually be musing about gold coins with a sly grin adorning her lips. Perhaps she was trying to look more regal—much like her outfit—in front of those others present. To the other side of Hector stood another imposing woman, though this one had a caramel-colored skin with muscles chiselled through many years of hard work that would put many knights to shame. The Reigning Khan of Ferox had been leaning on the table, but upon the man's entrance, she turned her attention to him, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. Then there was the woman they had rescued at the end of the war, the Exalt of the Halidom of Ylisse. Her soft features made her seem almost like the masterpiece of some master sculptor, but that would be impossible given her movements, and he knew well that statues did not move. Just behind her stood a man in armor, his hands behind his back, but still ready to jump to action in a second if needed. Ser Frederick, or Frederick the Wary as he was referred as around camp by the Shepherds, also turned to face the new arrival.

"You are getting slow, Matthew," said Lord Hector as he straightened his back and set down a small wooden figure back on the map. For a moment the Ostain looked like a replica of his older brother. Even the way he spoke had changed over the years. Perhaps the weight of his countrymen and all of the Lycian League had made him mature beyond his years. Still, Matthew had noticed that Lord Hector would still act the same with those they'd traveled during their time fighting the Fang. "You took twenty men with you. You used to need half that number and half that time to get any relevant information."

"My humble apologies, my lord." Matthew bowed mockingly, a little too low to make emphasis to his jest. Lord Hector didn't find the humor of it, but Lady Farina was already grinning from ear to ear. As for the others, they didn't react to the spy's actions. They hadn't known him for long. After the war was over, the Ostian forces had been getting to know their local hosts, sharing drinks and stories over the fires. All of them except for Matthew. He did talk from time to time with some of the so called Shepherds—the men and women that served Prince Chrom directly and followed Lord Mark's orders—but for the most part he was occupied with work. Peace had never stopped Lords and Ladies from scheming and such before; it wouldn't stop now. "This is a large world, my lord. And all those supplies we took were weighting us down _quite_ a bit. Not to worry though, I come with what you asked of me."

"The war is over and you still have your men running around, Hector?" Khan Flavia looked at the Marquess with interest. "The Plegian forces were smashed to the ground and then surrendered peacefully. I don't think that they will plan another attack so soon after peace was declared."

"Lord Hector likes to work us to the bone, my Khan. I think he forgets that not all of us are built like him."

"And that's why I don't throw you on the front lines, Matthew," Lord Hector said, not looking pleased at all with all the jesting. The blonde, for his part, felt a little sense of accomplishment knowing that he could still get on the nerves of his old friend and liege. "Well? What are you waiting for? Give it here!"

"Yes, my lord." Matthew walked towards the Marquess. From behind his cloak he pulled a rolled up parchment and handed it over when they were within reach of one another. Lord Hector broke the wax seal and immediately read through it all. His eyes darted from side to side, likely dismissing most of it, not that Matthew minded. Most of the information on there wouldn't mean much to someone that didn't know the nobles of the foreign land. But soon enough the bluenette's eyes lingered on one spot. This caught the attention of Lady Farina, who, with a more serious expression, leaned on her husband to take a look at the parchment herself, her husband not making an effort of hiding the information from her—he even made it easier for her to take a look by tilting the parchment her way. Finally, after a minute or two, Lord Hector said something under his breath that was only caught by his wife, though it did gain him the attention from the others in the room.

"Is everything alright, Lord Hector?" The angelic voice of the Exalt came, her concern also showing on her brow. Lord Hector, for his part, decided it was best to hand over the parchment for her to read. She took it gingerly and turned it over to take a look. After a moment, she turned to Matthew. "What is this...?"

"I beg your pardon, Your Grace. I tend to leave out details when it comes to writing down my findings. It makes it easier to pass it off for something else should I be captured." Seeing as how Ser Frederick nor Khan Flavia had had a chance to read it yet, Matthew decided to fill them in too. "That there," he pointed at the parchment, "is a list of the leading candidates for the Plegian crown. As you may or may not know, King Gangrel wasn't wed nor did he have legitimate or illegitimate children that could lay claim to his crown. He never named an heir either, leaving the Plegian nobles with no option but to choose candidates for the new successor. Personally, and if I may, I think General Mustafa seems like the best option. He seemed more concern for the people of Plegia than any other on the list. And from our time fighting against his forces, he also seemed like a good and reasonable leader."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand…" Lady Emmeryn said, still holding onto the parchment as she looked now at the Lord of Ostia. "How did you get this? And why would you need this when peace has come?"

"I can answer the first question, Your Grace," Matthew said before his liege had a chance to open his mouth. A little extra time for the Marquess to formulate his response would only do them good. "I am the spymaster of Ostia. Lord Hector had me and some of my men return to Plegia after our forces crossed the border to look for signs of unrest that could spark another war or a civil revolt. That list came from the network of informants I established."

The Exalt slowly brought the letter down to the table, Khan Flavia taking the chance to pick it up and take a look at it herself. "I...don't feel entirely comfortable with the idea of espionage. That on itself could spark a war, had you and your men been found out."

"With all due respect, Your Grace, me and my own know the game we play. I took only the best, fully knowing that if we were found it could be seen as provocation. I also promised my men to bring them back to Ostia safely. Last thing I want is to find my head on a spike because of an angry husband or wife."

"It is better to risk a loss of trust than to lose tens of thousands to war," Lord Hector said, somewhat ignoring Matthew's last comment. Whether he ignored it intentionally or not, Matthew wouldn't know. Still, the Lord spoke truly, even if his words were somewhat harsh. "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. Above all else, you must make sure to keep this peace, Your Grace. We must know what is going on elsewhere and understand it to prepare for another war or prevent it from escalating to that using diplomacy."

Silence spread amongst them. It seemed like not one of them knew how to respond to that. Lord Hector could be, well, _Lord Hector_ , but there was still wisdom and experience behind those words. Bern had been brewing something for sometime, and it was only through espionage that they would be ready for whatever came their way. It was _because_ of espionage that they had even come to Ylisse in the first place! There was power in being informed. _How one chooses to use that, though…_

"I don't like it, but I understand where Hector is coming from," said the khan, parchment still in hand, finally breaking the silence. "Under any other circumstances I would be against this. We don't spy in Ferox. If there is a problem between the khans, we solve it by talking or by fighting against one another. Espionage is not something we readily consider as an option nor accept. However, we are talking about Plegia here. The dastards can bite your hand off if given a chance. It's not for nothing that they have the bloodiest history on this side of the world… Well, externally, of course.

"But enough of that. I would rather discuss this," she hit the parchment with the back of her free hand to emphasize the topic before she turned to look at Matthew. "How certain are you about the names on this list?"

"As certain as one can be, Khan Flavia," he answered with confidence. He'd been doing this longer than anyone gave him credit for. His own years of experience with the matter made it easier to filter out information. The names on there had been confirmed by a number of sources.

"Flavia is fine. I care little for titles."

Matthew smiled. This world was certainly very different from Elibe. Only close friends of nobles would be allowed to drop titles when speaking. Even amongst themselves, most nobles always used titles. Then again, was a khan a similar title as a lord? Maybe that was just the way they did things in Ferox… Except Lord Mark, Prince Chrom, Princess Lissa, and even Exalt Emmeryn preferred being called without a title. Could this be why Lord Mark had taken an interest in Lady Lyndis all those years ago? She refused to be called anything but Lyn, though few called her that. He quickly shook his head, making a note to later return to that thought. "As certain as the sun rising from the east and setting west, Flavia."

The khan looked displeased at the parchment, crumbling it slightly in her hand. "This I don't like."

"Is something the matter, Flavia?" The Exalt asked, looking concerned.

"Did you read through all of this?"

"I did not. I was too confused by everything else to get a chance through it entirely."

The older woman turned the list over as to show its contents to everyone standing in front of her, hovering a finger besides one of the names on the list. _Validar_. A strange man by all accounts. Matthew had found little on the man, but what he did he did not like. He'd supposedly committed many atrocities throughout the years, and yet, he was the paramount for the Grimleal. A strange choice for a man leading a religion. But the Grimleal were more like fanatics, which was a problem, if what Matthew had discovered about Lord Mark's connection to the revered "Fell Dragon" was true.

"I doubt Lord Robin will take to these news lightly if this Validar is the same one his spoken about," Ser Frederick pointed out. "Given what he's told us about his past with the man, it could spell trouble if Validar is crowned King of Plegia and Lord Robin remains in a position of influence within the Halidom."

"What are the chances _this_ Validar and _that_ Validar are one and the same?" Lady Farina asked. "Could it be a coincidence? There is no ownership over their given name; Many men can carry the same name, after all."

"Very true, my lady. But this was something I dug into personally," Matthew objected. "The name sounded familiar enough, and as I learned more about the man's history, I can tell you as a fact that this Validar and Lord Mark's old master are one and the same. There are too many similarities for one to ignore. Granted, I know little of the master Validar, as Lord Mark never spoke in full about the man. Still, the chances of them not being the same man are close to null."

"We can't make mountains out of ant hills. For now, there is nothing we can do about it other than hope the man doesn't rise as victor," said Hector after another moment of silence. "There are many names on the list. Any of them could become the new king. We should not act unless Validar remains on the list after some of those names are dropped. I also recommend keeping Mark in the dark about this for the time being. He might have somewhat changed from the Mark I knew back in Elibe, but nonetheless, I doubt that he would take the news of this with a smile. I leave the final decision to you, Lady Emmeryn. Mark is under your banner, after all."

"I understand," said Lady Emmeryn, giving the Lord a small bow. "I appreciate you taking your time to do this as well as not taking actions on your own, Lord Hector, Ser Matthew."

"Don't mention it. You've helped Mark in his hour of need. This is our way of repaying you and your brother, Your Grace." With that said, Hector and Farina moved to exit the tent. "I'm sure Matthew has more to say about his findings. I'll leave him to report everything to the three of you first. We have other matters to attend to at the moment. Feel free to use the tent, if you like. Don't leave anything out, Matthew. I expect to hear the same report later."

"As you say, my Lord," said Matthew before the Lord and Lady of Ostia left the tent.

As the couple walked outside, the shorter female finally let out all the air in her lungs escape her. Though she'd technically had the title of Lady for years now, she still wasn't used to politics. Hector, on the other hand, seemed to have a decent handle on things. Although, she would always laugh internally every time she saw her husband talking so formally. He rarely seemed to be able to relax the same way he used to during the time they fought the Fang, which was something she admired...not that she would let him know, of course. She wouldn't hear the end of it if she did.

"So you _were_ at your limit after all," Hector commented offhandedly with a disinterested look as he kept his eyes on the path ahead of them. That earned him a jab to the ribs from the shorter female. The hit was meant to be hard, but the man had been wearing his armor all day. Probably didn't feel nothing more than a slight push to his side. "You are getting better at this whole thing by the day, Farina."

"Don't even get me started with _you_ ," she quickly threw back. "Who are you trying to impress? Got your eyes on another lady, eh?"

Hector snorted, still not returning her glare. "Wanting to get rid of me already, are you?"

"Only if I get to keep the coin in the reserve," she said with a shrug.

"Over my dead body!"

"Yes, that's the idea…" She smirked and could see that he was doing the same through his whiskers. This was what she needed. A little bit of a rant and confrontation to unwind. To anyone else, it would seem that the two of them did not get along with one another when they talked in such a way. In reality it couldn't be further from the truth. It was because they understood each other so much that they could say things that would hurt others to one another without it affecting them in a negative way. "Say, you aren't _really_ going to do nothing about this whole Validar business, are you? I mean, if the fellow is as bad as Mark says he is, then it could spell trouble. The Black Fang is already after Mark. If this maniac comes in too-"

"There is nothing we can do about it…" He looked pensively at the sky, as if seeking an answer in the clouds. If only it was that easy. The situation was far from simple. Any wrong move could cost them more than they were willing to risk, especially when it wasn't only their men that would be put in harm's way. "Doing anymore than we already have could put us on bad terms with Lady Emmeryn and the khans. If this was Lycia, then yes, by any means, we could act; There are many ways we could go about it. But here we do not hold any influence over the local politics. We can't overstep our welcome. And as for the Black Fang, that is only a rumor. We've been here for quite a while now and have yet to see any signs of them anywhere. My guess is that Legault is here for the same reason, and the man has said naught of any altercation with the Fang."

"Well, I don't like it." Farina crossed her arms and frowned. Hector had never been one to speak much of what couldn't be done, but she did understand where he was coming from. They had the chance to leave if things went south with Plegia. The Feroxi and Ylisseans did not. "We can't leave Ylisse without dealing with the Black Fang. The Shepherds and the Feroxi may be good, but..."

"Agreed. But we can't leave Ostia and Lycia unattended for so long. Not with Bern in its current state." Every time Bern was mentioned, a shiver ran down her spine. She always wondered why King Zephiel couldn't be more like Legault, Nino, and Jaffar... Well, maybe not Jaffar…nor Legault. Like Nino...yes, like Nino."I trust Eliwood can handle anything thrown his way, but with Ninian in poor health, I rather return to Elibe and let him spend as much time as he can with his wife and child. Only Saint Elimine knows how long she can last like that."

As much as she wished they could stay in Ylisse to explore this brave new world they had entered, it couldn't come to pass. They had responsibilities back in Elibe that they couldn't push away so easily. Though she loved her husband for the man he was, she also wished he was a simpler man without so many responsibilities. With his skill, they could make an unbeatable army of two and make their fortunes while still traveling around the world. Instead she was stuck honing her more "womanly" skills, like embroidering and playing instruments, both of which she sucked at. It was all worth it in the end as she did have little Lilina trailing after her most of the time. Every time she thought about her daughter, Farina couldn't help but wish she could return to Ostia faster. She hoped her toddler was getting along well with Roy, even if Hector still refused to have Roy "take away his daughter", whatever that meant.

"Why not offer Caelin back to Lyn, then?" She asked, pushing the memories of her daughter aside for the time being. "It is still hers by birthright. According to Kent, the knights would still pledge for her if she were to return. And if she does accept, Mark would return with her, given that they are marrying soon. That way we can get the old gang back together and deal with the Fang while distancing any conflict away from Ylisse. Who knows? Maybe it will throw a pebble into King Zephiel's gears."

"Kent is castellan of Caelin now," he quickly reminded her. "I don't think-"

"Oh, please!" She rolled her eyes. "He only took it upon himself after you practically shoved it down his throat!"

"Wallace retired and had no desire to rule. Sain decided to leave for Ilia with your sister. And the old council of Caelin were strangers to me, not to mention that they too refused the call. There was no other one that could handle the castle. You are also assuming that Lyn will take the offer. She had no desire to rule all those years ago. She did not want to rule when her grandfather passed away. I doubt she will want to do it now. There's also a problem with Mark taking Caelin for a home. While having our tactician back would make Bern hesitate if they were planning for a war, it could also spark another conflict between them and Etruria, leaving Lycia in the middle of it all."

"Ah, but _our_ Mark wouldn't be the one coming back, would he?" The shorter female smiled and tossed a coin she kept with her for luck up in the air. "Lyn is marrying _Robin_ —a fellow from a distant land that _happens_ to look like the missing, famed tactician of the Lycian League. Matthew could deal with spreading the information necessary to stop any rumor of it being otherwise."

"Fair enough. What would you have me do, then?" _Got him! Now to reel him in._

"Are you deaf? Have you been growing hair in your ears too all these years? Offer Caelin to them after the wedding! The least you can do is let Kent, Lyn, and Robin make the decision. You allowed Wallace to do as much. Why not them too?"

After some thought, Hector finally noded, though he didn't look too pleased with the prospect of asking Lyn to take the castle yet again. "Fine. We can try after the wedding then. But for now, no more talk of this. Who knows who could be listening to us."

"Don't be so paranoid, Big Guy," Farina teased. "There's no one around to listen in anyways. It's just you, me, and thousands of soldiers going about their own business far enough from us to try and peek into our conversation."

And she was right. The two of them had made their way to an area that was far from any prying eyes and ears. Whatever they said would remain between them… Only there _was someone_ that didn't have to be near them to listen to everything they'd said since leaving the tent. After all, half the time they'd been walking towards her.

Panne's ears dropped, losing interest on the conversation once it turned into what she could only describe as flirting. She grunted in disgust as she tried to focus on something else. There were too many people around the area she was in. Ever since the Feroxi had joined them, she could feel their stares on her at all times. She did not like the attention. She understood that there was need for soldiers, but she wished the Shepherds could be kept separate from the rest of the army. Things only got worse for her since the Ostians arrived. Legault explained that there weren't any "beast-kin" from where they came except for manaketes, who were a relatively new appearance in their world, so the Knights were more curious than anything of her being. That didn't change the fact that it was unbearable for the taguel. So much so that she had taken to setting up her tent far from the main camp. Still, because of rations and other tasks assigned to her by the tactician, she had to spend some of her time in the main camp, whether she liked it or not.

Still, she had to admit that it wasn't all bad to be in camp. Talking with Robin, Canas, and Miriel about taguel society always made her happy and forget that all man-spawn were out for taguel blood, seeing as they were interested more in the culture and society surrounding the taguel as well as her own well being. There was also Cordelia, Donnel, Stahl, and Isadora, with whom she could talk freely about more common occurrences. And last but not least was the one she inevitably spent the most time with, the irritating man-spawn Legault. Oddly enough, she had yet to see the man the whole day. That on itself was suspicious, but there was something much more important on her mind: the smell of her favorite dish lingering in the air, which was what brought her to camp in the first place.

The smell made her body move on its own, dragging her along the busy camp. Her mouth was watering, already tasting the only thing would make the trip worth it. When she entered the mess tent, it was full to the brim. Many of the soldiers had already served themselves their meal and were eating away with comrades. Some of the other Shepherds were there too. From the corner of her eye, the taguel spied Stahl, Miriel, Sully, Vaike, and Kellam sitting together, the latter of whom seemed to be left out of whatever conversation the others were having, seeing as how he was usually ignored. She couldn't blame anyone from doing so. Even with her heightened sense of smell and hearing, she had a hard time knowing when the man approached. It was as if he was a ghost of some kind.

Panne would have to decide where to sit later. For now, her priority was to get to where the food was. As she'd been expecting, she saw the man she had hoped for. Despite his wedding coming up—a strange tradition in the taguel's mind—Robin had taken kitchen duty this time around, likely refusing to do nothing around camp. The tactician was carrying around pots from one spot on the table to the other until he turned to look at Panne as she approached him.

"Ah, Panne! Where you here for seconds?" He said as he turned, still holding onto a pot close to his chest. She stopped dry, letting the brunette's question linger in the air for a second before narrowing her eyes at him. They both knew that there weren't any other taguel in the army. And she had only just entered the tent, which meant that there wasn't a chance for her to get seconds when she'd yet to have her first bowl. "I'm sorry, we are all out. There were barely enough supplies this time around for everyone to get a single bowl."

"...I haven't eaten any yet," she finally responded, her voice steady, though there was massive disappointment in her heart knowing that she wouldn't get a taste of her beloved dish. This was quickly replaced by anger. Someone had _stolen_ what was rightfully hers! That would not stand. Robin must have felt the change in her demeanor, for he stiffened up.

"But Legault came earlier, saying that you'd asked him to take a bowl to you…"

"That... _infuriating_ man-spawn will pay for this," she all but spat as she quickly turned and dashed out of the tent before Robin had a chance to respond. She knew that the other-worlder had a past of theft, but this was crossing the line. Luckily for her, her nose would bring her to the man, making it easier for her to deliver justice. Once she found him she would have to teach him a lesson he would soon not forget. Perhaps she would add another scar to the man's face too while she was at it.

Tracking the man down was easy. He was sitting idly on a log with two bowl balanced next to him. But attacking him would be difficult as he wasn't alone. In front of him stood other Shepherds; Virion, Olivia, Tharja, and even Lon'qu. A strange combination to see together, if she had a say. Panne could see that attacking would be out of the question now. Still, she wasn't going to let him get away with what he'd done. She stepped into view and slowly made her way towards Legault.

The man turned to face her when she was only a few steps away from him. For a human, he was overly aware of his surroundings. She grunted when she saw the smirk spread across his lips.

"Oh, my," said Virion as he and Olivia turned to look at Panne while Lon'qu remained disinterested and kept his distance, much the same to Tharja. "Of all the people to see here, you were the last I'd thought would come, my dear. Then again, given your past, I can see why you would _need_ to be here. Worry not! We will shape you to be ready for the celebration to come. With this we are complete!"

Panne had little patience for whatever the fool with the strange white cloth around his neck was saying. She ignored him, instead opting to stare down at Legault, who hadn't moved an inch from where he sat. "You heard the man," the thief began. "We can get started now."

"I have no interest in taking part of...whatever it is you are planning," she informed him, her fists clenched, ready to fight if she had to, her beaststone within reach. "I came here because the tactician told me of what you did. Stealing from me won't go unpunished. Prepare yourself, man-spawn! We are having a duel."

Legault only nodded as he stood up and dusted him trousers. He turned to face her, not moving for his weapon. "Lord Mark was right in telling you this. Though, I think there is a misunderstanding in my actions, my rabbit-friend. I was only trying to help you."

"By taking my food hostage for your scheme?" She made no attempt to hide the hostility in her voice.

"Not quite. You are welcome to take your share of today's dish." He pointed towards the bowls, both of which were full to the brim and still steaming. She walked towards them with haste. Just as she was about to pick one up and leave, she stopped herself when he spoke up once again. "But I was hoping that you could help us here first. Be certain that you _will_ be rewarded for your efforts if you do."

"There is nothing you have that interests me, man-spawn." Once more, she made for the bowl.

"I think there is something," he said as he pointed at the other bowl. Her ears twitched. He knew her too well, the damn man. She had to wonder if it had been because of him that there had only been enough ingredients around for the soldiers to receive a single dish when there would normally be enough for most everyone to get seconds. It certainly seemed possible. Part of her wanted to refuse, to ignore the offer and walk away with her own dish, but as she took another look at it, she knew that she would want _more_.

"I am listening," she said, hating every word that came out of her mouth. Damn tactician and his skill at cooking.

Legault turned to Olivia, who took it as a sign she should speak. The girl was her nervous self like always, fidgeting with her clothes as she took a step forward. "W-we need your help, Panne," she said weakly, her voice barely enough for the others to hear. Panne for her part only stared down at the girl, not helping in making it easier for the pinkette to speak. "We've… We've been practicing for Lord Robin's and Lady Lyndis' wedding, but we didn't have enough people to dance in pairs for the lesson. Legault thought-"

"I refuse," she immediately interrupted, knowing full well where this was going. The sole notion of it made her sick. Why would _she_ need to dance for this stupid man-spawn tradition? Shouldn't it be the tactician and his bride the ones to dance? All she should do, as a guest, was show up and show her support for the union. That's what she'd been told by Cordelia, at least.

Legault went on to explain that, as a guest, and because of Lorcan traditions, she would be required to dance if someone asked her during the celebration. That had been the reason behind his little scheme, which also included Lon'qu, who'd been convinced to show up once the Bernese told him about Panne's tea and how it could help him get past his fear of women.

"You offer what's not yours, man-spawn?"

"I offered information of what you shared with me the last time Lord Mark was in kitchen duty and I gave you my bowl of stew. You also gave me some of the tea back then, which I shared with Lon'qu, thinking it would help him with his particular problem." Lon'qu grunted in the distance. Though he looked disinterested in the conversation, it was clear that he was listening in on them. "Unfortunately, it seems that won't be enough, as he's finished all of it since that day."

"What of her?" Panne pointed at Tharja, who couldn't look any less interested in their conversation. "What did you do to make her show up."

"She came to Olivia and I to teach her how to dance of her own free will," the man-spawn Virion explained. "We thought it would be a good opportunity to teach those that don't know how to dance in one go. Legault was quick to come to our aid, as we needed another male to dance with Lady Tharja. It helped that he himself can dance, though he needs some polishing in his moves still."

Legault nodded. "It's as he says. But knowing there were more people in camp that needed lessons, I thought I would try to bring more people in." Going through all that trouble, Panne couldn't help but wonder what the man was getting out of the whole situation. If there was anything, she couldn't see it yet. What she didn't understand was why he wanted her to dance in the first place. Surely she could tell whoever asked her during the wedding that she did not know how to do it and would be left alone. "Remember, Panne. You only have to do this once and you will be ready for the wedding. And from this, you get a second bowl of carrots stew now, and another one later from Lon'qu if you share your tea with him. If you refuse… I will drop my bowl to the ground, contents and all."

She flinched, her eyes widening for a moment before she glared at the man. Who in their right mind would waste food? "You wouldn't dare! You are bluffing, man-spawn."

"Will you risk it?" He took the second bowl of stew and lifted it, slowly tilting it more and more by the second. The contents of the bowl were slowly moving towards the edge, threatening to fall over if he kept at it any longer.

"Fine…" she relented. "Have it your way… But I do nothing until after I eat."

The only one that protested was Tharja, saying that there were things she had to do and people she had to see. The others assured her that it wouldn't take long, likely because there was no one that didn't know that the taguel was the fastest eater of all the Shepherds. Within the span of a few minutes, she had licked clean, literally, her bowl and Legault's, making them both seem as if they were ready to be put away. Also, before they started anything else, it was decided that in order for Lon'qu to be able to take part in the lesson, he would need to have some tea. The man drank it as if it was an elixir. Panne already knew about the man's particular problem with women. He likely was having a hard time not running away from the scene since he first got there. It mattered little, for now it meant that it was time for all of them to begin the dreaded lesson.

"Well then, ladies and gentlemen, I think we are ready to begin," said Virion, who quickly made his way towards Olivia, the girl's face lighting up like a fire when he took her hand in his. "Stand with your partner and be ready to follow our lovely instructor, Olivia."

Panne looked around her to see what it meant. Already it seemed that her partner was chosen for her. It was even more apparent when she was shoved lightly towards the man. Behind her Legault smirked as he took Tharja's hand into his. "He already seems to be more open to the possibility to be your partner than Tharja's. You helped the man once already. Now it's time for his reward."

A chuckle escaped their male instructor, who feint not having done so when Panne glared openly at him. It made no sense to her to partner the two that obviously had the least experience in the matter together. However, neither Olivia nor Virion said anything about it. With no other choice, Panne moved to Lon'qu side, who, despite the tea, froze for a second. Not wanting to waste any more time, she was the one to grab his hand. Surprisingly, the tea had its full effect on the man, as he made no attempt to create any distance between them thereafter.

The lesson proceeded painfully slow, with Virion having to explain what he said were "the basics of the basics". That wasn't the only thing painful from the experience, as Lon'qu stepped on her toes every now and again. It was not, by any means, a pleasant experience, though she could not blame the man for his mistakes. After all, she was stepping on his toes just as much, although hers wouldn't hurt him as much, given his footwear and her lack thereof. It didn't help either that every time her eyes crossed the Bernese's, he would be smirking at her. It was maddening, while at the same time impressive, seeing as he danced with Tharja without a single problem. Despite her gloomy personality, Panne could see the allure that she'd seen some men around camp have for the black mage. She looked beautiful as she moved, even when her mouth remained a thin line.

By the time Virion called the lesson over, both Panne and Lon'qu had gotten the hang of things, or at least of the basics. Panne didn't particularly enjoy the experience, but she didn't find it as displeasing as she thought it would be. Still, she hoped she wouldn't have to dance more than was necessary during Robin's wedding. It would seem that the feeling wasn't shared by her partner, however. Lon'qu immediately let go of her and started walking away from the group.

"Leaving already?" Legault said as he himself let go of Tharja, turning to look at the withdrawing figure of the myrmidon.

"I kept my part of the deal. The lesson is over. I am leaving," Lon'qu said, not bothering to look back at anyone. Truth be told, he left feeling humiliated by the whole ordeal.

* * *

 **AN:** Finding a spot to cut this was hard. Keep in mind that the way I wrote this was so that one perspective transitioned into another as naturally as possible, which doesn't help when I'm trying to split it into two chapters. It's as good as I could have it without making this chapter a lot longer than the next one.

If you hadn't noticed already or guessed by the title, the idea behind this chapter was two-fold. One, to show interactions between a bunch of different characters that I wouldn't usually bring up. And two, to show every single major character that's alive be involved with characters other than Robin. Obviously, the other bunch that didn't show up will be there on the next part. This was a big challenge that I undertook, but I think it was a necessary one to give the idea that the Shepherds are more than only those around Robin, which is why his appearance is the shortest one. I'll go more into detail about things on the chapters on the next one's author notes.

Reviews:

 **Whatstoknow** —Man, been so long and I _still_ haven't finished the Conquest path (did Birthright first). I haven't even touched my 3DS in a long time. Got Pokemon Moon already, but I haven't even taken it out of the box yet!

 **Greyjedi449t** —I'm happy you liked it. I'm always unsure as how people will react to fluff, especially when the story as a whole is obviously not focused on that. It's good to see that people approved of it! Hope you didn't get too disappointed by the long wait for the update.

 **XenoEmblem4TW —** Not gonna be a super long engagement time now, but hey! At least they are getting somewhere now! With Emm alive, and given everything that's happened, I can tell you a lot of things are going to change, for better or worse. From here on out, even if events unfold as they did in the game, the feel and their development should be quite different, which will be a challenge. But who doesn't like a good challenge? *cries*

 **Rayne Thanatos** —Hmm, not quite. I don't mind OCs unless they go full Mary Sue. Al feels too perfect for me, especially for a teenager. I mean, Robin in most stories can be considered an OC (just look at mine and you can see it), but at the end of the day he is flawed too. I can't say I'll go back to reading that manga, but I might once Zephiel shows up here.

A small date, but one that I felt would fit Lyn more. Can't say I see her being one to go to fancy places over hiking. I totally forgot about Wallace! Poor guy... That's what he gets for retiring! Now that's a thought. Who would win between Wallace and Frederick? I don't necessarily mean in a fight either.

Everyone loves Lloyd and Linus, myself included. A shame they never got more developed in the game. Might have to change that here. Jaffar is also a favorite here, it seems. I got a good idea to introduce him and a couple of others soonish. It'll depend on how long I make this sort of in-between arc. As for Grima, that's part of my overall plan. I never liked the idea of a villain that wants to destroy the world simply because they can. As for _how_ I'll do that, well, can't really give away that just yet considering where we currently stand in the story.

 **king ulfr** —Thank you very much!

 **JP I'm Italian** —I checked out the link you gave me and made the change to the chapter right after. Really appreciate the help with that! You would think the people running the wiki would make it a little more evident.

Well, I can't say you are wrong. Guinivere always seemed to me like someone that would want to make things right, so thanking Mark would be something she would likely want to do. As for bringing him to Bern to offer him a position, during the events of this story she would be a little too young to be thinking that far ahead. For now, you could consider her actions to be nothing more than what is shown, though who knows if Legault was given another agenda before leaving Bern.

Goes to show that if you try hard enough you could still get the girl! ...just kidding. Sain is crazy, but you could say the same about Virion, though his character development in his supports is way better (mainly because there are so many more of them).

For the wedding style, it was/will be a mix. There are some details about it that are based on ideas that I've had on my mind for literally years that I don't know where I got them from. Others will come from Mongolian nomadic tribes, since much of the culture of the Lorca seem to be based off of them, but there will also be a hint of Japanese in there, considering the overall design of Lyn leaning more towards that.

Tharja's actions will have consequences, that's for sure. She's already done two things that could have mayor ramifications in the future, those being revealing that she wiped Chrom's and Frederick's memories, and her knowledge about the mark. Considering that she is Robin's responsibility, anything that happens to her will have affect him too. As for the whole Grima thing, it would be a big blow to his family. I think that, even if Lyn finds herself in despair over it, her family and friends would help her through it. I don't see her losing hope of Robin coming back if Naga does explain that there is a chance he may.

That is something that I said a long time ago and never went back to, mainly because no one else ever brought it up. Back then that was the idea I had, but since the new game came out, I think there is an easier solution in the form of the Dragon's Gate. Because it connects two places together but not necessarily two timelines, you could travel between worlds and time itself when crossing the gate, meaning that they would need to have anchors to make a permanent connection between the two worlds. I'll go more into detail about this in future chapters, don't worry.

As for you last question I am a 24 year old heterosexual male. Giving in the extra detail cus I don't really mind lol

 **animeandgamerlover2** —Aww, you flatter me! Stop! ...Continue, plz. For Robin's family, it'll depend on whether it becomes more harem-esque in the future or not. Right now, I can confirm that he'll have 3 children with Lyn. The twins, Morgan and Morgana or Morgan and Marc, as someone else brilliantly suggested, and an their OC big sister. I don't know if they should have any more, mainly because I want to make other OC children for other characters, especially if there are more pairings between Elibe and Ylisse characters.

 **Yellowclover** —Switching PoVs comes with it's own challenges, as this chapter shows. For characters being different, that comes with not seeing them grow. Years have gone by in their world, where they went through many things that made them mature or change. Though their overall personalities should remain similar enough for them to feel like the same characters, it wouldn't make sense to me as a storyteller to have them be the same people when I've already established that their lives kept on moving from the point the game ended. This is not to bash on your opinion. I appreciate the perspective of an outsider, I do. I'm only trying to put my two-cents in to explain what's going on. For smells, I do agree with fire smelling like sulpher. I think that's the description that's generally been given to it. Same thing for Ice; I was thinking dry ice specifically. For wind and fire I haven't given it much thought. I'll keep the suggestions for the dances in mind, thought I don't know if I'll end up going into detail with them as I first wanted to. We'll see. Also, thought there is a Panne PoV here, I don't consider this a _real_ PoV. It'll come, don't worry about it!

 **Defcon Deceiver —** Thank you very much! It was a good time, despite everything that happened after. I wouldn't say I get any extras for it being on the same day as Father's day. Maybe if/when I was a dad there would be something there for me, but until then, nada.

Though Ylisse seems to be more civilized than Elibe, racism will always be a thing. If you take for example people from the middle east and Muslims as a whole, they are discriminated because of the bad apples that are talked about most. In the case of Plegians, you could say the same applies. It's the whole idea of "they are stereotypes for a reason". Remember also that the crusades in this story ended only very recently, so most people haven't had a chance to move on. For the aspects of the crusade itself, most of that feeds on what happens in real war. Though the soldiers are not told to harm civilians, it sometimes happens. And in a world where keeping track of things and verifying information can be difficult, monsters can get away it many things. It's the same reason Taguel were hunted down to extinction for the exception of Panne.

Well, I try to have them be as realistic as possible. I do consider myself a romantic, so I like to include small details like that in my stories as a way of projecting what _I_ would do in a similar situation. I appreciate the big compliment and the fact that you are enjoying their relationship. It's a blast to write about, even when it showed very little in past chapters.

Man, Lissa is so fun to write because I feel she has a big attention to detail while still being a little silly. Ironically enough, it's her perspective I got stuck on for the longest time (will show on the next chapter). It does make sense to me for Robin to be Lissa's cannon husband, but I see where you are coming from. When certain characters are pushed forward over others, you start seeing them together more as a couple. I think that's why Lucina is so popular with so many people.

Again, Emmeryn is a very interesting and fun character to write about, but in a much different way than Lissa. I think I get a little more free reign with her since we know very little about her personality compared to other characters in the game.

I think manipulative is a strong word. I see Lyn as someone that would do something like that as a last resort, and only in situations that would bring everyone together.

Harem isn't something you can simply discard because you think that it'll somehow diminish the relationship between two characters. If anything, it should show that the three of them are growing together as a family. I agree that if it would be possible with anyone, it would have to be Tharja. I usually assume most characters are bisexual until otherwise stated, but as you said, we do have evidence that Tharja swings both ways. It'll all depend on how the future chapters develop. There will be plenty of opportunities for Tharja to interact with Lyn one-on-one between now and the beginning of the Valm-arc. By then it should become clear if anything will happen. I can see Tharja wanting to keep being alongside Robin, whether he takes her as a bride or not. And given Lyn's personality, I doubt she would push Tharja away.

 **jorganlink7856** (Ch03) —I haven't checked to comfirm, but Archest doesn't make sense to me. I keep picturing an arch with Virion's hair on it instead of an archer.


	26. The story of many (part 2)

**AN:** Let me start by saying that I really appreciate your guys' understanding. I did feel awful about making you guys wait so long, and I know I may have lost a few readers of this story because of the length of the break, but it does make me feel a whole lot better to see people encouraging me instead of being mad about it. That being said, I was very surprised to see this getting over 1k views in less than 24 hours after posting it. I was expecting a lot less than that, to be honest. So, to all of those new here, I bid you welcome! I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it. I would say you came in at a good time, since chapters will be posted a bit more frequently (not saying how often just because I don't want people holding that as a standard).

With Christmas around the corner also means I'm getting some time off of work. That'll help when it comes time to work on this story some more and to just relax for a while and not worry about anything else. I'm crossing my fingers so that I can get another chapter out sometime next week.

As I said before, here's the second half of what I'd been working on. I was originally going to post it later this week, but finished it yesterday. The only reason it didn't go out earlier is because I went over it to make sure everything seemed right. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some missing words here and there, though. Those keep waiting away from me. Even when I reread my own works, my brain fills those in automatically.

Enough about that. This chapter is long. 12k long after adding some stuff here and there. I didn't feel like cutting it again, so I'm just going to post the whole thing now so that I can move on to the next chapter, which is the one everyone's been waiting for. Wedding!

Anyways, let me know what you think by leaving a review on here. Also, if you really liked the story, remember to follow and/or favorite. You don't _have_ to, but I do like getting those notifications on my phone when someone does. Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 25: The story of many (part 2)_

Lon'qu accepted Legault's deal of being a third in the dancing lesson in exchange for more tea leaves, but little did he know that he would be getting it from Panne and then be forced to dance with her. It all would've been fine if he hadn't noticed Legault practically laughing at them every time he turned the thief looking their way.

It mattered little now. Lon'qu got what he wanted. There was no need for him to go through the same humiliation again until Robin and Lyn's wedding. For now all he wanted to do was to let out his frustration. And what better way to do so than to go to the sparring yard and get some training done? Sword training had always been his way of clearing his mind. Usually for this he would get his own sword and swing freely, but at that moment he was not carrying it with him. A practice sword would have to suffice for now.

The area that had been set up for the members of the army to practice in was at one of the edges of the campsite. Not many would go there unless they wanted to do some work, which meant that the area saw few faces coming and going throughout the day, seeing as how the war was over. Lon'qu was a regular. Every morning and evening, without fail, he would show up to continue practicing, trying to perfect his own technique. He knew that there was always room for improvement, which he could only close up by training more rigorously.

At times, Chrom would be there practicing with Lyn, who, to Lon'qu's amazement, had the most precise technique he had ever seen. He felt jealous of the woman. They were close in age, and yet, there was a noticeable gap in their skill. One of the reasons he wanted to get his hands on more tea was because he wanted to ask Lyn to teach him whatever she could. But he'd gotten the tea too late. Lyn hadn't been to practice for days as she was preparing for her wedding. There was no nothing he could do about that but wait. He would be ready to face her by the time she returned. Or so he told himself.

Entering the area, he could see that the main section of the sparring grounds was in use. At the center of it where two fierce competitors. On one side stood Raimi, who Lon'qu knew enough about. The woman had made a name for herself by beating most every other lancer in Ferox and from her many accomplishments in battles throughout the years. It was rare to see the woman struggle in a fight, despite knowing that she had lost to the Shepherds in the days leading to the tournament of khans. Yet, that was the case that afternoon as she fought against one of the Ostian knights.

"Lon'qu, over here!"

The raven's focus wavered as he turned in the direction his name was being called. Across the fight, he spotted Chrom, who was waving him over. From the looks of the prince, he'd been training on his own for a while, as it was to be expected. The man was one Lon'qu admired the most out of the Shepherds—one of the only ones that he still had a hard time beating in one-to-one combat. Slowly, the myrmidon made his way around the fight towards the other man, making sure not to lose sight of any movement of the two lancers. Only then did he notice that Chrom was not standing by himself. Next to the prince stood Basilio, who, like Lon'qu, seemed to be hypnotized by the scene before him.

"I always prefered the sword over the lance, but I have to say I feel a little inspired to use a lance now," Chrom said as Lon'qu reached his side. Though he could see where Chrom was coming from, Lon'qu didn't feel the same way. The way of the sword was all he'd known his entire life. Going out to learn a new weapon would only serve as a distraction from his ultimate goal.

Raimi seemed to be reaching her limit, but not losing her stride, despite the heavy armor weighing her down. Her opponent seemed more focused, but equally tired. Both of them clashed over and over again in a sort of combat that would only be seen from two experts in their field. It was impossible to say that one style of combat was superior over the other with both contestants landing many hits on one another, though never losing their footing.

In the end it was all about endurance. After landing one more hit, Raimi was taken down by her opponent with a swift hit from his lance to her legs. Now victorious, he took the chance to take a knee and relax while Raimi breath heavily while laying down. From the corner of his eye, Lon'qu noticed a girl with pink, braided hair approach the Ostian knight, a cup in her hand.

"You did splendidly as always, dear," said Lady Serra as she offered the cup to the knight, who seemed surprised by her sudden appearance. Either way, he still accepted the drink before downing all its contents in one go. When he began coughing, the pinkette tried hit the knight on the back to no avail, for his armor would absorb most of her light hits. "Slow down, dear. There is water of plenty here. But wow! What a splendid fight that was! It's been quite some time since I last saw you push yourself so much during training."

"I feel rusty still. I may be getting too old," Lord Oswin said as he slowly picked himself up, his breathing still ragged. Lon'qu didn't put any weight on the statement. Basilio was older than the knight and was still able to beat all who he fought against. The knight went on to offer his hand to the fallen Raimi, who stared at him in return. "It was a good fight, Dame Raimi. I wasn't sure I would be able to come out of it victorious. I can only attribute my victory to the weather, knowing that you come from the cold north."

"Bah! A victory is a victory, and this time it's yours, milord," she said as she accepted his hand and was quickly pulled to her feet, armor and all. "In battle no one is going to go easy on you for not taking well to the weather. But knowing this, I hope we can spar again in Ferox some day, Lord Oswin."

"Perhaps we can make that happen," Basilio interjected as he approached the two fighters with a long stride. The mountain of a man easily caught everyone's attention, especially Lon'qu's, who had to wonder what the khan had in mind. Basilio rarely stood idle and watched, even when people trained. He had to been taken by the fight for something like that to happen. "The Tournament of Khans is the best place to display skills such as these. There will be not one in Arena Ferox that won't cheer for something like this, I tell you!"

"Won't the next tournament take place in a year's time?" Chrom asked as he too approached the center of the sparring grounds, Lon'qu following suit. The prince wasn't entirely correct. The tournament could be short of a year's time the soonest, but there had been times in the past when the tournament was held off for a year or two. Still, the question was a valid one. Was Basilio insinuating that he wanted the Ostian Knight to be one of his fighters for the tournament if not his own champion?

"A year is enough time to prepare!" Basilio responded in earnest. "What do you say, Lord Oswin? It'll give you and your lady wife a chance to visit Ferox. I'll even personally make sure you get to see the best sight."

"Oh! What a wonderful idea!" Serra cried in joy, turning to her husband. "Don't you think so too, Oswin? Imagine the places we could see! Oh, how wonderful it would be!"

"I'm afraid I must decline." Serra turned to look at her husband in disbelief, as if the small dream she had just created was harshly shattered in front of her. In Lon'qu's opinion, she was being overly dramatic.

"Wait a moment, dear husband!" She placed a hand on the man's shoulder, the knight turning to look at her in turn. "Reconsider! One of the biggest figures of a foreign land has invited us himself! As representatives of Ostia, we can't just—"

"An offer that humbles me so, but I'm afraid that the answer is still no." The ironclad turned to look at Basilio, making a small bow to the man before going on to explain his reasoning. "Marquess Hector called his people to arms when it was clear that Lord Mark was in the middle of a war. We came here to help an old ally. And as the war is won, I believe we will be returning to Ostia sooner rather than later. We can not afford to stay any longer than we must. I hope you understand, Khan Basilio."

Frankly, the conversation was turning dull for Lon'qu. It seemed that the group would be talking more about politics than they would be discussing fighting. To him, that was not something that he cared to hear about. Without anyone noticing, perhaps because he never spoke up, the myrmidon snuck away to the other side of the area to get a hold of a practice sword.

He would go on to unleash a hail of hits on a poor, unsuspecting training dummy, which wobbled left and right for every hit that the raven landed. But hitting a dummy over and over again using the same technique would not yield improvement. For this, he mimicked the styles he'd seen the other Shepherds use since he'd joined them. It wasn't enough to mimic those of the other swordsmen in the group, like Lyn and Chrom. Lon'qu tried to land at least a few hits mimicking Stahl, Frederick, Isadora, and Sully. He even tried some of the tactician's moves, hoping to see if any movement would either ring true to him or simply inspire him to modify his style.

An hour went by, and then another. Finally, drenched in sweat, Lon'qu had enough. All his previous frustration from the "dance lesson" had vanished, leaving him tired and craving a warm meal. As luck would have it, it was time for supper to be served, guessing by the smell coming from the direction of the mess tent. With all that happened earlier that day, he'd forgotten to get his own meal earlier and would now be paying for that in full.

Dropping the sword off, he noticed that he was standing along in the training grounds. He'd been so focused on his task that he failed to notice the others leaving at some point during his training. It mattered not to him. He wasn't there to be distracted by the company of others anyway.

The mess tent was as busy as one would expect, with many of the Shepherds being present for the meal, though sitting spread out on the many tables along with the Feroxi and Ostian soldiers. It was then that he bumped onto one of said Shepherds, the man spilling some mead on the ground in turn.

"Woah! Sorry, Lon'qu," said the green armored knight as he turned from the ground to the swordsman, a few mugs mead on each hand. "I got distracted looking for the others and didn't notice you come in. The place got packed quickly!" Lon'qu said nothing, only staring at the man dismissively. "Hey, but now that you are here, how about sitting with us? We got a small group together and have one more spot, if you want it."

"There is no need," Lon'qu responded, his voice cold as it always seemed to be. "I am looking for Lyn and Robin."

"Oh! Well then, I won't take any more of your time," said Stahl, sporting a wide smile in return. He'd only taken one step towards his table when he turned back, remembering something. "I saw them eating somewhere in the back. They were talking with a couple of people, but I'm sure you can squeeze in there if you hurry."

Lon'qu looked at the cavalier for a second, as if studying him before he simply nodded and headed in the direction he'd been pointed towards. As for Stahl, he let out a content sigh. For quite some time he'd tried to get some words out of the swordsman, but it always felt like his words fell on deaf ears. Not that he minded. Stahl knew better from the get go that talking with Lon'qu would be more of a one sided conversation, so getting only a few words out of him was a win in his book. Remembering what he was _supposed_ to be doing, he turned around and headed for the table where the people he'd been talking to before were still seated.

"...it pertains to social norms that one should attend to an event they've been invited to," came the voice of Miriel from his right as he took the open spot on the bench next to her. He was swift in handing out the drinks he'd been carrying to his other comrades, who acknowledged it with a nod his way, as they were still holding the same heated conversation they were before he left. "To my understanding, you were invited by the bride personally. While declining the invitation was a viable option at the time the invitation was given, you choose to not do so, hence why the lack of your presence would be disrespectful."

"Oh, here we go again with this." Sully all but rolled her eyes as she leaned forward on the table to take a closer look at the other redhead sitting across from her. It was odd how those two got so close and comfortable talking with one another in such a short time, despite how harsh Sully's words could often be. Stahl trained with Sully for years and not once did he hear her talk of or even mention Miriel. It was not like he minded. Sully didn't have many female friends back then to begin with. Now she would talk with Miriel, Sumia, and Isadora quite often. He would never let the red-armored woman know, but it made him happy to see that, for reasons he didn't know himself. "Social norms? What a pile of horse dung. Ya _know_ there has to be more to it than that! I bet they're tryin' to get back at me for everything that happened, somehow."

"Still talking about Robin here?" Stahl asked, only to confirm to himself. Ever since Robin and Lyn had announced their engagement and imminent wedding—something he'd congratulated the tactician about almost every single day since—it seemed that not a day could go by without the topic coming up on their table. All the Shepherds were invited to come, to which Sully hadn't responded in kind. "Aren't you thinking too much about it? Why not go with it? There will be good food, drink, and even music!"

"Ya kiddin' me? After callin' him a traitor in front of everyone, the guy still wants me to see him get hitched. No matter which way ya look at it, it smells fishy to me." The redhead sat back, clearly frustrated that no one would see it her way. She took the mug in front of her in her hand and drank about half of its contents. Letting out a satisfied breath when she set it back down, she continued. "That or he's lost his mind. Either way, I'm not gonna be there."

"The Vaike says you should come too! Go, get some food, drink, and whatnot for free! Sounds like a great deal to pass up," the large man said as he grinned at Sully.

"Ya too now, Vaike? I thought ya couldn't stand the guy." She wasn't wrong. Ever since Sthal and Miriel caught up with the Shepherds, Vaike and Sully had both spoken ill of Robin whenever he wasn't nearby. The brunette had caught them even questioning the orders they'd received on a few occasions, though they carried them out nonetheless. That would have to do more with Chrom later reprimanding them rather than them knowing that their tactician's strategy had kept them alive.

"The guy's given us no reason to question his allegiance," Vaike said as he scratched the back of his head. It almost seemed as if he was surprised by the idea of him accepting Robin into the fold. It was true, too. It didn't happen often, but Stahl had seen Vaike and Robin talking normally together, with the larger man grinning or even laughing at times. "He's a good guy, he really is! And you know his story too. Kinda makes The Vike feel bad for everythin'...you know? He lost just as much in the war as we did, but he still helped us. I can't blame 'im for something he didn't do, even if he _is_ Plegian."

"Not to mention he is _the_ Tactician Mark," Stahl added when he noticed the sullen atmosphere that took over the table. "No matter which way you look at it, he's one of the good guys! He left Plegia in self exile to protect someone he didn't even know, and fought with us for peace when the Exalt was taken. How can a guy like that be evil?"

"Yes, I'm inclined to agree with this conclusion too." The bespectacled woman nodded as she adjusted her glasses. "Though, it is highly likely that there was once a time that was not true. As Canas has told me, to be able to use dark magic one must accept a darkness within them and learn to control it. Those that accept the darkness but can't learn to control it will soon find themselves in a comatose state or face death by their own doing."

"Are you saying that Robin _could_ be evil because he is a dark mage?" Asking that left a bad taste in Stahl's mouth. It'd been something he'd thought about in the past, but not knowing anything about magic other than what he'd read in stories or told by magic users like Miriel and Ricken, he didn't put much thought into dark magic. That was not to mention that Robin could use blood magic, something which had been forbidden in Ylisse for much longer than dark magic had.

"The evidence shows otherwise, but the theory is still there. I, as a woman of science, can't dismiss this. However, if asked for my personal, biased opinion, I would deny any possibility."

"Can I say something?"

Stahl was startled enough by the voice to jump to his feet. He swore the voice had been directly behind him. He felt a chill go down his spine as the voice echoed in his head. When he turned, he noticed a suit of armor had taken his place. It took him a while to notice the face that belonged to the man _in_ the suit. "Kellam? When did you get here?"

"I was sitting here before you left to get some drinks...remember?" Stahl couldn't, and judging from the faces of the others sitting there, no one had, not even Miriel, who looked intrigued at the man in the massive iron suit. "You were even sitting on me!"

 _That explains why I didn't feel so comfortable_ , Stahl thought as he rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"Well? Out with it! What'ya got to say then?" Sully demanded after she was finally able to recover from the shock of the sudden appearance of what many in the army had dubbed as the "Ghost Armor Suit".

"Well… Em...yes. You see, I think the problem isn't so much Robin, who has clearly forgiven you for...all _that_. I think the problem is that you don't know what to think anymore," said Kellam, his voice wavering at the glare he received from the woman sitting across the table. Sully seemed like she was about to punch the guy when he quickly went on to explain. "You've hated Plegians because of what happened to your family during the war. Most Ylisseans do. I think you at one point opened up to the idea of Robin being one of us. I even remember you offering some of the food you cooked that one time long ago, though he did end up running away after taking a couple of spoonfuls…"

"What 'ya gettin' at?" Sully drummed her fingers on the table as she glared daggers at the knight.

"Well, it's clear that you changed back when we first saw the Ostian army. I think you felt betrayed—subconsciously—that he'd left out the information about Elibe since Lyn joined us back in Arena Ferox. Now, even if you don't want to, your brain is telling you that you can't trust him again because if he lied once, he must be hiding a lot more."

"If my brain's doin' all that without me wantin' it to, how am I supposed to do anythin' about it, huh?"

"I, um… I don't very well know… But I think going to the wedding would be a good start. It could help you see Robin in a new light...maybe?"

"Fascinating," was the only thing Miriel, not Sully, could say, gaining the attention from the others. She was staring at Kellam with her full attention, her eyes visibly analyzing everything the man had done since he'd first "appeared". "Simply fascinating. To have such an understanding about the human psyche and analyse in detail what the possible problems that could cause a case such as this by only a quick glance. Perhaps you would be willing to teach me some of this techniques, Kellam."

"O-oh, no, no. You give me too much credit," he said quickly, his cheeks showing a tinge of red. "I've been keeping an eye on this from the beginning."

"You've been watchin' me for _how_ long now?" Sully asked as she scowled at the man. The woman always had a certain air around her that made men falter, but now that changed to a more threatening one. She went as far as cracking her knuckles to prove she wasn't pleased.

"Th-this is a misunderstanding!" Kellam protested, throwing his hands in the air. "I didn't mean it like that."

Luckily for him, Miriel gained everyone's attention when she suddenly stood up without a word and started walking away.

Noticing she left most of her food, Stahl turned to the retreating mage. "Miriel! Wait! You didn't even finish your food nor drink!" But his words fell on deaf ears. Vaike, however, wasn't as concerned, as he moved the mage's plate towards him.

"I must write down these findings. They will aid me in one of my current endeavours." She didn't bother looking back at the others when they said their farewells. Kellam's words were indeed of importance to her. Sully had come to her weeks before asking to have a personality analysis done. Miriel came to a clear conclusion of the woman's personality shortly after, labeling her as a foul mouthed, headstrong woman that cared little about femininity, though didn't see it as a hindrance. This new development meant that her work had reached a conclusion without all the data necessary. If she was to deliver a report to Sully on the subject, she needed to go back and look over _everything_ from the beginning.

But before Miriel had the chance to enter her tent, she was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a young voice calling her name followed by some rushed steps. She turned in time to see young Ricken come to a halt in front of her, his face flushed from exerting himself, as was evident from his shallow and rapid breathing as well as his posture of leaning forward with his hands resting on his slightly bent knees.

"I've been… trying… to get… your attention… Miriel!" The young man said in between heavy breaths. Despite his youth, the young mage was still lacking in strength and stamina displayed by the other younger Shepherds, with Lissa being an exception, as the princess always tired quickly when walking long distances. With more oxygen rushing through him, it seemed that Ricken was faring much better. He straightened his back and turned up to face her. "You can't ignore me just like that, you know!"

Seeing the seriousness in the young man's face, Miriel assumed that there was only one logical course of action. "My apologies, Ricken. I was caught in my thoughts for a moment. I was on my way to do something important—"

"Yeah, I know!" Ricken interrupted as he pouted at her. "I've been looking for you for the same reason. We should hurry, we're already late as it is. Come on, let's go! If we hurry we can still make it before the others get things started without us."

What was he going refering to? Others? Were others interested in her study of Sully? She hadn't been informed of such changes to the agreement. Did Sully hold so little hope that— _Ah! The meeting!_ She was quite glad she hadn't made a fool out of herself in having to ask what Ricken was referring to. Yes, she had a meeting to get to, which she had clearly forgotten. It was meant to be her second time participating in this "club". Normally she wasn't one to forget...anything. But time had escaped her when she got entangled with the others back in the mess tent and then learned about Sully's new traits.

"Then allow me to gather my things before we depart," she told him before entering her tent. Finding something in there was easier said than done. Too many scrolls, tomes, and equipment she used for experiments littered her whole tent, only leaving a small enough space for her bedroll to fit snugly against a corner. She made her way around the piles of precariously placed object towards said bedroll, knowing that what she was looking for was found there. How could she be so certain? Well, for one she had set it down there the night before when she was done with it. Second, it stuck out like a sore thumb in her tent. She picked it up, taking a close look at it as if to confirm that it was what she was looking for. _The Dragon-Human War: An Annotated Chronicle_ was the title she held. With it in hand, she left the tent, finding Ricken outside still waiting for her.

Their meeting spot was by no means anything fancy—they took whatever they could find. This time, it was one of the many campfires that spread out across the camp that night. Around it sat some of the other members of the club. Sumia, Cordelia, and Canas were already talking, though not about the book they'd read. The trio were discussing the absence of the other two members of the club. They'd all known that Robin wouldn't be in attendance, but Tharja hadn't said anything about not showing.

"I found Miriel," Ricken said as he stuck out his chest before taking one of the empty spots. There was a quick exchange of greetings between everyone before Ricken pointed out the obvious. "Tharja isn't coming, then?"

"I doubt it," Sumia said with a quick shake of her head. "I think we all know why she joined in the first place." Were they all aware of this? Miriel couldn't wrap her head around the idea. It seemed that she had missed something in the sorceress' demeanor that put the mage at a disadvantage. "It's not that surprising. We'll see them both back here on the meeting the week after the wedding, I'm sure."

"Then why don't we start?" Cordelia asked, her book laid on her lap with a few bookmarks appearing from the top. It seemed that she was eager to discuss the book, despite it not being something that she would usually read, as she had confessed when it was decided they would be reading it. To be fair, Miriel herself wasn't interested in books that did not hold any significance to her expertise, which meant that deciding on a book that everyone could agree on was no simple task. It was Canas who finally found the solution when he proposed the book they ended up reading, saying it had everything one could expect from a tale of fiction, except all the events depicted in the tome were accounts of real events. Miriel finally sat herself down on the last open spot, allowing for the discussion to begin.

"I wish that the author had talked more about what caused the war in the first place," Ricken said as he frowned at the copy of the book he was holding. "It's hard to understand some of the feelings of the people mentioned when we don't know why they are fighting in the first place other than to survive."

"Yeah, I was disappointed about that too," Sumia agreed. "From other books I've read, The Scourging is always referred to in passing as if it was something that everyone just knew about, but it's never said what the cause for it was."

"Unfortunately, the reason for the war has been lost to time," Canas interjected. From anyone there, he would be the only one to know, as he hailed from the world that had fought against dragons. "Dragons and humans lived in peace for millennia before humans struck the first blow. Many say the blame lays on the dragons, trying to argue that without feeling threatened, humans wouldn't attack. But there has never been any evidence of that being the case. Most of what we know comes from books that compile tales that took place during the event, much as this one, as well as the legends of the Eight Heroes. Whatever the original reason that started the conflict was, I would say it changed to vengeance after that first generation of soldiers died were slaughtered by the dragons."

"But the lack of texts for the cause is still intriguing," said Miriel. "Tomes and scrolls decay over time, but that does not justify the lack of these. They can be rewritten to be passed on. It is common practice done here by many scholar-mages."

"So I've been told. But where this world has vast amounts of magic that allow their users more flexibility in its use, like copying entire tomes in a few hours. Elibe lost most of its magic when the Eight Heroes gathered their weapons together. The legend goes that their weapons were so powerful that it sucked the magic out of the air all across the known world and forced the dragons to seal their powers away. What's more, most of the surviving dragons were forced through the Dragon's Gate in exile when they found that they couldn't find conduits for their power to flow through.

"But I digress. As I was saying, with the lack of magic in our world, scribes need to rewrite books by hand, often taking weeks or months to finish a single one without a single grammatical error, not to mention the process of translating them from the old common tongue to the one we use today. I suppose that in this transition, if text was lost, then the scribes would try to fill it in to the best of their ability. It is also thought that during the war, most men of fourteen and older were drafted into the war, be they nobles or peasants. On a side note, this is also why books are not readily available at a reasonable price in Elibe. And with the lack of magic in the world, the affinity for it was also reduced amongst humans. The arts are not lost yet, and they are even slowly recovering, but you would never see it so widely used as you do here. Furthermore, there was a decline in birthrates that we haven't recovered from since. It is uncommon for a family to have more than a single child to the point that having more than that is seen as a blessing."

"It goes to show how different things are here than they are in Elibe," Cordelia mused sadly. "Carrying on the jobs of their fathers for generations, the lack of support for women in other posts outside housewives and maids, and arranged marriages. When I read about that, I never thought much of it. It all seems so odd to me when I try to think of a place being like that outside of fiction."

"Oh, do not worry so, Dame Cordelia. Times have changed greatly in Elibe as a whole. You must remember that the stories on this book were written around a thousand years ago. Except for Berne, most of these traditions have been shed. Arranged marriages amongst nobility is still a common practice to this day, as it helps keep the peace between the many houses within a nation and even between nations as a whole. Only those in high enough power have the opportunity to choose their bride or groom, like was the case with Marquess Hector and Marquess Eliwood, though not without resistance of other lords and their counselors. The fact that Dame Isadora was able to reach the rank of Knight and then Paladin also marks a welcome change for Lycia as a whole."

"That makes me happy to hear," said Sumia with a wide smile. "Though, now I think I'll never be able to read any other books from Elibe if they cost as much as you say…"

Canas sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "It is precisely how I feel… During my time traveling with the Lycian League, one of our companions, a woman by the name of Vaida, kept feeding her wyvern my books whenever she caught me reading. It pains me to think about that time. Then there was Bartre, who insisted I lend him one of my books… I hope he's finished it by now. It was a rather small book, but he wasn't the sharpest of men."

This type of conversation, excluding Canas' last comment, made Miriel glad she'd agreed to join the club. She'd never cared for fiction. The probability of her enjoying one of those types of books was null, as she'd shot down all the other books that were suggested just like all her suggestions had been. They had compromised with Canas' choice, as it would satisfy Sumia's and Ricken's taste for fictional theme, Cordelia's inclination towards romance, and still give the mage knowledge of the socio-economical situation in Elibe as well as a small history lesson of an extinction-level event.

After the misunderstanding that happened of her having a love affair with Canas, the Druid suggested that they should reduce their research time to the bare minimum and have her interact more with the rest of the army. Overall, the experience had been pleasant so far, though there was always that itch that came to her whenever she found herself wanting nothing more than going back to her tent and continuing on one of her many projects.

They continued their discussion of the book for another hour. They stopped only when Cordelia pointed out how late it already was. The moon was high in the sky, with its light as well as the fire in the center being the only sources of light. It was decided that they would conclude the activities for the day and reconvene the coming week with suggestions for their next book.

From all those present, Ricken had been the most excited about the discussion. He'd been hanging on the edge of his seat at every word spoken. Elibe seemed to be a very interesting place. He was determined to go there someday. If he was lucky, maybe he would be able to convince Lord Hector to take him back with him, although that would be difficult. The mountain-of-a-man was… He wasn't scary, no. Only a child would be scared of another man. Ricken was no child! He was just nervous around the Great Lord, that was all. Who didn't get nervous from time to time?

He would need to go talk about it with Lissa again. The _brave_ mage knew that the princess was of the same mind as him. The two had both been outspoken about their desire of visiting Elibe, no matter the cost. Lissa's reasons were...well, he couldn't judge her that hard. If she really wanted to meet the legendary Lords of Pherae, who was he to stop her? However, he had to remind the girl that Roy would be a toddler and Lord Eliwood was already a married man. She kicked him on the shin for that one.

He would have gone directly to Lissa's tent if it weren't already so late. A man visiting a woman's tent, alone, at night? That's how rumors got started, and he knew well enough how that turned out for Canas and Miriel. And if the rumor included Lissa, that meant that Maribelle would be on the case. Ricken really didn't want to be on the bad side of Maribelle's wrath.

Left with no other choice, he decided to hit the hay. Why risk getting into trouble when he could wait until the next day and be free of consequences?

The next morning couldn't come fast enough. With little sleep but with a great deal of energy, Ricken started his day as a man on a mission. During the little sleep he got, a _brilliant_ plan came to him. If things kept going the way they were, they would need to send an emissary to Ostia to keep it that way. All he had to do was convince the Captain and/or the Exalt that _he_ was the best choice for that and he would be there. But he couldn't convince them alone, especially not Lady Emmeryn. For that, he would need to make use of Lissa.

Finding the princess was easy as pie. She sat on a log as she ate...a slice of pie with some of the other Shepherds. Strangely enough, the only one not having any of it was the sugar-loving thief, Gaius, who instead sat on bended knees on the dirt with Nowi scowling at him as she herself ate mouthfuls of the pie. Approaching cautiously, the mage neared the newest recruit of the Shepherds.

"Hey, Libra. What's going on here? Some sort of punishment game?" Ricken asked in a whisper. If it was a punishment, then it would all make sense. But then he wondered what the game had been in the first place and how Gaius had found himself losing it.

The blonde turned towards Ricken with grace enough to be confused for a woman's, as many of the soldiers in the army had done before, much to their horror. To be fair, Libra had been a good sport about it and laughed it off, throwing a comment that lessened the awkwardness every time it happened. "Ah, good morning, Ricken. I am not sure myself. I was only passing by when Nowi offered me a plate with pie, saying that I should eat it."

 _And you just took it?_ Ricken looked at the pretty man with an eyebrow raised. _Weren't you worried that she was making you test it in case it had been tampered with?_

From the other side, a pot-helmet-wearing boy raised the pot(helm) slightly to take a better look at Ricken. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the food he was furiously chewing on prevented him to do so. Finally, after he was able to swallow the mouthful, he spoke up. "Gaius tricked Nowi into playin' one of them pranks on Canas and Gregor last night."

"Tricked?" Ricken repeated. He wasn't sure how someone could be _tricked_ into pulling a prank, or why they would be so mad at the result afterwards. Wouldn't that on itself be a prank? And more curiously, why would Gaius trick Nowi into doing that? If asked, Ricken would say that Lissa was more likely to pull pranks, especially one on that level. _Did Lissa trick Gaius into then tricking Nowi? Women are sc-...formidable._ "Was it that bad?"

"It's much, much worse!" Nowi stood up on the trunk as she turned her attention to Ricken. Though her eyes had been on Gaius at all times, it seemed that she was still aware of the others talking around her. The manakete, due to her size, looked nothing but adorable, despite trying to look fierce. Her hands were at her hips and she was pouting and scowling, but none of these helped her look as angry as she probably thought she looked. "So now he _has_ to be punished!"

"And Gaius is just letting you do so?" Ricken asked with an arched eyebrow. There had to be more to it. No man with all his senses would allow himself to be punished that easily and readily unless they were masochists. And from the time the young mage had spent talking with the thief in the past, Gaius was not like that… probably.

"Kid stole my stash," Gaius said under his breath, equal parts fearful, cold, and angry. If Ricken knew there was something that would force Gaius to take any punishment it would be his sack of sweets. How Nowi was able to steal from the thief in the first place, well, that would remain a mystery. "Not only that, but she's eating from it too and giving it away like it's nothing!"

"I think you got what you deserved, Gaius," Lissa said with a sly grin before she took another mouthful of the pie. "You reap what you sow and all that."

"Me?! Princess, you-"

"Yeah, yeah. We heard _everything_ that you have to say for yourself. Stop lying and admit to it already! I don't know how much more pie I can take!"

"Admitting your guilt could lessen your burden," Libra added. "A clean conscious will do you good, Gaius."

" _I'm_ as much of a victim as she is!" He pointed a finger at Nowi, who quickly swatted it away.

"Anyways, what's up, Ricken?" Lissa asked as she turned her attention to the young Shepherd that had just arrived. "Are you looking for Chrom again? I think he's either sleeping, training, or having breakfast with Robin at the mess tent."

"Not this time," Ricken said as he shook his head. "I was looking for you, actually."

"Little ol' me?"

"Yeah. I wanted to know…" He looked around at the others, not sure if he should right out say it. "...If you've checked on that _thing_ we talked about the other day."

"What _thing_?" Lissa asked, a little too loudly for Ricken's taste.

"You know… _That_ thing!"

Lissa looked thoughtful for a long moment, as if she was searching the depths of her own mind to trying to figure out what it was he was talking about. When she turned to look at him again, it was clear that she knew what he was talking about. "Oh, you mean the whole going to Elibe thing?"

"Lissa!"

"What's this~ What's this!~" Nowi looked at both of them with excitement, losing all interest in the pie and Gaius. "What are you guy's planning? Whatever it is, I want in!"

"W-wait a second…" Ricken pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Things could get out of control if he didn't do something quickly. But before he even had the chance to think of a way to dissuade the manakete from the conversation, Lissa was already giving her the whole truth.

"We'd been talking about going to Elibe with the Lord Hector and his army once they head back," Lissa admitted with excitement. "It would probably be just for a little bit, but I _really_ want to go there and explore!"

Nowi's eyes sparkled, and Ricken had a good idea as to why. Being over a thousand years old, she would have explored most, if not all, of their world already at least once. Going to a new world would mean that she would get a chance to experience a lot of new things. It would be like being reborn, in a way. "That would be _amazing!_ I wanna go too!"

"Well, you are welcome to tag along if you want," Lissa said too easily. "But before you get too excited about it, I haven't mentioned it to Emm yet. Something tells me it won't be easy either. Once we get back to Ylisse, she'll be dragged around to 'fulfill her duty as Exalt'. And even if I can convince her, we would have to talk with Lord Hector about it too."

Nowi puffed out her chest as she smiled. "Leave Lord Hector to me. I will charm him with—"

"No, no. That wouldn't work," Ricken quickly dismissed. Nowi was cute. Child cute. The mage was sure that she was referring to charm him in a way a grown woman would. That seemed unlikely, especially considering that the Marquess was a married man and didn't seemed interested in other women that with "better"...assets.

"That's mean, Ricken." Nowi pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I can be very charming when I want to be, you know?"

"The bottleneck right now is convincing the Exalt, really. Ostia doesn't hold all of Elibe, which means that Lord Hector wouldn't be able to outright refuse. Lissa being a princess works for our advantage too, since there would be more reason for them to let her go because of it. But it's also the reason why it's so hard for us to go, since it could be dangerous."

"Gosh, that sounds like a pickle," Donnel chimed in as he finished his portion of the pie. "Why not go there with the Shepherds?"

"The Shepherds need to be here. Just because the war is over doesn't mean that we're out of danger. There's still the Risen to take care of, remember? The Feroxi will only stay for so long to help us too, so the Shepherds will have to go around helping against any attacks that happen and train an army of our own."

"Ricken's right," Lissa quickly backed up. "The people Khan Flavia sent us are already training people all around Ylisse. Soon enough we'll have something that feels like an army, even though it'll be tiny. I also heard Frederick and Chrom talking about training more people, just in case. That means we can't exactly have everyone leave without a second thought."

"That means that if it's a small enough group, we would be fine, right?" Nowi asked as she swayed from side to side.

"Huh…" Gaius now, for once, looked thoughtful. He rubbed his chin for some time in silence until he suddenly raise his gaze to meet Lissa's all the while grinning. "Then how about this. I'll help you convince Blue that you should go to Elibe. In return, you take the kid with you."

"And what are you getting out of his exactly?" Once again, Nowi eyed the sugar-thief suspiciously, as everyone should. "I doubt you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart…"

"If you give me my stash back—"

"No," the manakete deadpanned.

"Why not come to a compromise?" The sudden voice of Libra, who'd remained out of the conversation for its entirety, surprised the rest. The monk stood up, brushing the dust from his trousers, as he went on to explain. "If the stash is returned in its entirety from the start, it would allow Gaius to run away without having to fill his part of the deal. But if he is given half of it now, as a sign of good faith, and the rest once his task is fulfilled, then it would secure his help."

Nowi and Lissa turned to each other, speaking to one another solely with their eyes, an unspoken language that Ricken had seen many use, but hadn't ever used himself. It was interesting. Slight eye movements were enough for both girls to understand what was on the other's mind. In unison, both of them smiled and then nodded before agreeing to Libra's terms.

"Fine, that's gonna have to do for now," Lissa said. "We can talk about the details later. I have something I have to do right now."

"Busy life, princess?" Gaius asked, curiosity clearly taking over him.

"I promised Maribelle that I would have brunch with her. Maybe, if you don't watch yourself, I'll ask Nowi to given me some of your sweets for us to have." Gaius gritted his teeth and grunted in defeat. With no one else stopping her, she made to leave. "I thought so! I'll see you guys later!"

Truth be told, she didn't actually have plans with Maribelle. She just wanted to get out of there before Gaius asked any more questions. Who knew a small prank on Nowi would get the little manakete in such a foul mood? It did make Lissa feel terrible about it, but eating from Gaius' stash made it all better… somewhat. As long as Nowi didn't find out the truth everything would be okay. It wasn't as if Canas could be mad forever. Lissa already knew that from reading the stories that he'd forgiven Nino for a bad prank too. And with all the similarities Nowi shared with his niece, Canas would make peace with it all soon enough. And as for Gregor, well, it was hard to even imagine the mercenary being anything but jolly. He would surely come around in time too.

In the past, when Lissa had pranked Gregor, he'd laughed it off, sometimes offering pointers, which was why he was so high up in her list of people to prank, second only to Robin. This on itself piqued her interest. She'd already excused herself for some time, so she had to make herself scarce to avoid Gaius from seeing her for the time being, and since she didn't know where Maribelle was, checking on Gregor was perfect. So, with nothing better to do, Lissa went on to search for the mercenary.

Luckily, finding Gregor was pretty darn easy. All she had to do was follow loudest voice around camp—maybe even the area that encompassed the nearby village. The man was having an animated conversation with Lord Kent, who nodded along as Gregor told one of his many stories, sometimes chuckling to something the older man said or saying something the princess couldn't quite make out. Lissa had always thought that Kent was much like Frederick from what she'd read of him—stern to the point of annoyance—but to see him there laughing, or as close to laughing as she would probably see him, made him seem very approachable. He also had a nice smile. Already she could see why Maribelle was crushing so hard of the red knight, even if she would never admit to it—less so since the whole fiasco last time she brought up the topic.

As if through magic, the mere thought of her best friend seem to be enough to invoke the parasol-wielding blonde, who surprised Lissa by tapping her shoulder.

"Darling, how wonderful to see you! I was on my way to your tent, but it seems I was in luck," Maribelle said with a soft smile. Maybe it was because of the weird location they found themselves in, but Maribelle quickly arched one of her eyebrows as she eyed the princess. "And what, pray tell, where you doing all the way out here? I thought you would be with the Exalt or perhaps your brother."

Though she knew she wasn't doing anything wrong, Lissa, for her part, tried not to look suspicious. If only she could whistle… But her attempt at seeming inconspicuous would never fool Maribelle of all people. Maribelle knew her better than anyone else, after all. And while Lissa tried to hide away the sweat forming on her brow with an uneasy smile, Maribelle's eyes narrowed.

"Could it be you were spying on someone again?" Maribelle guessed correctly. "Darling, I thought we all agreed not to do such a thing after what happened last time."

"N-no, no. Nothing like that," Lissa tried to cover, but her stuttering gave her away instantly; even she knew the whole thing was up. All she could do was try and convince Maribelle that she wasn't doing anything bad. "You know, Maribelle, sometimes taking a walk around is kinda fun. It can be very relaxing too! It's just that I was around here, looking for Gregor, and lo and behold," she moved to a side to allow Maribelle to get a better view, "there he is!"

"You were looking for _that_ man?" Maribelle questioned, clearly unconvinced. Lissa didn't fail to notice that her friend hadn't even made a mention of Lord Kent.

"Yeah! You see, Nowi played a prank on him and she said that Gregor was kinda mad at her for it."

"He was mad at her? Is she sure? I don't think I've ever seen Gregor mad before…" Maribelle took another glance at the man in question. "He seems doesn't seem bothered to me."

"Right?! I was _just_ about to go ask him what happened when you called out to me. Let's go check," Lissa said as she was already making her way towards Gregor and Lord Kent, leaving Maribelle to catch up to her, which was no problem as Maribelle wore riding trousers instead of a constricting dress the pig-tailed blond was used to, though she hardly could say she enjoyed wearing it all that much when traveling all around the continent. As the two approached, Lissa called out to the two men, waving her hand enthusiastically. "Gregor, Lord Kent! Fancy meeting you here!"

"Good morning, Lady Lissa, Lady Maribelle," Lord Kent said as he gave a short bow to each of them. So formal, like one would expect from a knight. Lissa would've prefered if the redhead would relax some more around them and drop so many formalities. Then again, even amongst the people of Elibe, it was common to be more formal even when speaking casually, always bringing up titles and such. That had to be part of the reason Maribelle liked Kent so much. Her friend was always one to remind people that they were speaking with someone of nobility, which always made Lissa somewhat uncomfortable. "Indeed. May I ask, what brings you here?"

"Weeelll, I was actually looking for Gregor."

"Ah, Little Princess been looking for Gregor?" The mercenary asked as he half turned her way and waved back, a smile on his face like there usually was. "Had Gregor known this, Gregor would be doing the running around! Conversation with Kent made Gregor forget about the time. What can this one do for you?"

"I heard from _someone_ that Nowi pulled a prank on you and Canas, but that the two of you didn't take it too well…?" Gregor's face darken, sending a shiver down Lissa's back. Never had she seen him pull that expression before. It wasn't a nice one, like Robin's rubbery-face (patent pending). This one was more like someone that would rather not speak about something like it was taboo. "W-was it really that bad?"

"Gregor has seen many things during travels. Beasts attacking villages. Bandits looting innocent. Babies left in the woods. Nothing compares to Nowi's 'prank'. First time Gregor's seen Professor's ears red like apples too, and we be doing the traveling for some time. We be patient men, but Nowi did the pushing too far this time."

"That explains why Canas was in such a foul mood when I went to see him this morning," Kent put in as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I can't say I personally spent that much time with the man during our travels with Lord Mark, but nonetheless, it is astounding to see him like that. Even when dealing with the likes of Bartre, he would be patient to a fault."

"What could that girl possibly have done that you would say it's worse than an infant being abandoned in the woods?" Maribelle asked, clearly interested in the subject some more now that she'd heard Gregor talk about it. He, did not respond, instead opting to cross his arms, grit his teeth, and look up at the sky, as if the mere thought was enough to take him back to the time the prank took place. Maribelle, Lissa, and Lord Kent exchanged looks, all likely still trying to put the puzzle together.

Lissa still had a few questions when two more joined in on their group. Florina and Phila walked over in a pair, Phila looking as composed as ever, while Florina seemed to look more meek the closer she got to their group. If she could, Lissa had no doubt that she would hide behind Phila or someone else. The Pegasus Knight of Ilia had confessed to them before that she felt intimidated by men, finding it hard to speak to them, especially so when they were loud, which meant that Gregor wasn't the best person for her to be approaching.

"Good morning, miladies, milord, and… Ser Gregor," Phila greeted as she came to a stop, her posture as stiff as always, though it suited her well enough, or at least Lissa was so used to it that it seemed like there was no other pose the woman could strike that would seem natural. Florina greeted them aswell, though her voice was barely audible.

"What is this? More pretty ladies come looking for Gregor?" The mercenary nudged Kent with a smirk. "Gregor is being popular with the ladies, you see? Just like Gregor's been telling you!"

"It would appear so," Lord Kent said with a bit of a knowing smirk.

"It would appear _not_ ," Phila quickly corrected after glaring at Lord Kent as if he should know better or at least not indulge the old man with his fantasies. "I came here looking for Lady Lissa, not _you_ , Ser Gregor."

"Gregor is no 'Ser'. Gregor is Gregor! Much better than some knight, yes?" Gregor said. "And why is pretty lady being mean to poor old Gregor? Has this one done something to, eeeeh... How do you say? Tsun-tsun?"

"Tsun-tsun?" Maribelle repeated, looking baffled for a moment. "I don't know if that is an insult or not—it's not a word I've heard before—but it certainly doesn't sound good to call someone that! I expect you to apologize to Phila, Gregor!"

"Relax, Maribelle. I don't think that means anything mean," said Lissa, who wasn't entirely wrong, but not entirely right either. "Don't worry, Gregor, I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong," Lissa reassured him. "Phila isn't so trusting of mercenary, it's all. But you said something about looking for me, Phila? What's up?"

"Of course, milady," Phila took a small bow. "The Exalt has requested you join her for breakfast. She wished to discuss a few things of importance with the two of you, if possible."

That was a surprise. Emm didn't exactly hide away the politics of running the Halidom from her or Chrom, but it was rare that she would want to discuss that with both of them. If it was important, that was the only thing it could be about, right? Or maybe she just wanted to catch up with her siblings? It was a while ago that they rescued her and yet, they hadn't spent as much time as a family—all three of them—as they used to before the Risen first showed up. Lissa liked the idea better the more she thought about it. Finding out what happened to Gregor and Canas could wait for now. It wasn't as if the two of them would be going anywhere any time soon anyways.

"Okay! Sorry guys," she turned to Gregor, Maribelle, and Lord Kent, looking apologetic, but not holding back her smile. "I'm gonna go see Emm. We can talk later! Phila, could you show me the way?"

Phila rarely smiled like that other than those times when Lissa cooperated with her without asking too many questions. It was an added bonus to make Phila happy by going to see her sister. The pegasus knight nodded and the three of them (Lissa, Phila, and Florina) excused themselves. It seemed that Florina had been running some training with the Ylissean Pegasus Knights as a favor to Phila, who complimented the shorter girl's prowess in the field. Lissa had seen Florina fight in Plegia. Though the girl would shy away from men, she had no problem fighting against them. It was like a mouse suddenly turned into a fierce lion. An amusing comparison, in Lissa's mind, but a fitting one.

"I thought you would be a bit better talking with men now, Florina, especially with the likes of Lord Kent," Lissa commented once the conversation started winding down. "I mean, you travelled with him and others for so long! Wouldn't you get used to them?"

Florina looked down at the ground in shame, pouting. "I-It's not that I don't like them," she said. "I know they are all good people. Whenever I try to approach men to talk, my throat closes up just as I reach them. They must think of me as nothing but a silly girl, wasting their time. I thought that practicing with my good-brothers would help, and it did! But I can only talk with Lord Hector and Ser Sain a bit more than any other man…"

"But before I asked you to train with us, Florina, you'd been having a conversation with Lady Lyndis and Lord Robin, weren't you?" Phila asked. Lissa had seen Florina talking with Robin a few times before too. She still looked very nervous, but she was always able to get her words out without much of a problem. At least, that's how it seemed to the princess.

"That's only because of Lyn always having been close to him…" Florina admitted, though she looked as if she hadn't given it much thought before. "Lord Mark has been by Lyn's side for a long time. And he's protected us all during our time of need, always making sure none of us were too injured and got rest when needed. I-I think that makes him more approachable than most other men..."

"That reminds me," Phila said, her eyebrows. "Weren't you looking for Lady Lyndis, Florina? You said you would come with me in case she was in this direction."

Florina gasped, her cheeks heating up. How could she have forgotten about it! How embarrassing! She could only be thankful that Lyn wasn't there to see her make such a mistake. The Ilian had lost track of time with the conversations she had with the other two that she'd pushed aside her original goal. "Ah! I should be going! I'm so sorry! Thank you for reminding me, Damn Phila!"

With a quick wave goodbye, Florina rushed as fast as her legs would take her. Finding Lyn before they went to the dress shop was mostly an excuse to spend some alone time with her friend. With the war going on and then all the planning, though the two did spend more time together than Lyn and her husband-to-be had in the past two weeks, there were always others around, which made it a little hard for the Pegasus Knight to get used to, especially with the likes of Virion, who happened to have a good eye for color coordination.

Guessing by the position of the sun, it would be noon soon, which meant she could be late for the original meeting time if she didn't hurry. Riding her pegasus would be faster, but then she wouldn't know where to leave him while they were in the store. Were there any posts that she could tie— No, that would be too cruel. She would need to run and make it on her own, even if she did break into a sweat.

As she'd expected and already berated herself for, Florina as the last to arrive. She was out of breath, but she was there just in time! Their group consisted of her sister Fiora, Isadora, the merchant Anna, herself, and of course, the most important of them all, Lyn, who greeted her with a warm hug and thanked her for coming.

"I'm happy to be here!" Florina said enthusiastically. "I wouldn't want to miss it for the world."

Lyn smiled at that, which was a relief. Having Lyn mad at her would be horrible. Not that she expected the greenette to actually be mad about something so trivial, but it was an important event in Lyn's life, so Florina really wanted to be there for her.

"Should we head in then?" Anna asked, a coy smile on her lips as well as a finger on her chin. Anna had been the one to recommend the place they were outside of. According to her, they owed her a few favors, which would help them lower the prices and allowed them to cut a long waiting list they had, which was surprising when thinking about it. It was a small place, so could they really have that much of a clientele?

The four entered the building without further ado. Once inside, they were quickly ushered into a room without a second thought. There two comfortable looking loveseats, carved to perfection. Florina sat with her sister on one while Anna and Isadora sat on the one opposite of theirs. Inbetween them was a small raised platform big enough for someone to stand on and to the other side of the room, opposite of the door, was a curtain. Florina's heart was racing from how nervous she was. So nervous in fact that she failed to notice Lyn disappearing.

"I must admit, I am rather excited about this," said Isadora, breaking the silence that had fallen in the group while they waited. "It has been quite some time since I had the chance to experience something like this. I believe the last time was with your wedding, Fiora."

Fiora's natural smile grew wider, likely from reminiscing about it. Florina could remember that day too. Much like this one, she'd been very nervous about it, almost as if she was to be the center of attention. "That feels like a lifetime away now," Fiora said. "Mine was more traditional than this, however. I am very eager to see how things vary between Ilian and Sacaean culture."

"I'm thinking a lot of color," Anna put in. "Then again, I do have an advantage, since I was the one that brought Lyn here in the first place."

Their discussion was cut short when the curtain was opened, revealing Lyn wearing something nothing like Florina had ever seen before. Who knew a wedding dress could be anything other than white? The dress was crafted with a beautiful cyan silk that had a natural shine to it. Embroidered all over the fabric where intricate red flower patterns ranging in size from that of a golden coin to the size of a fist. There were gold accents to it too, mostly in the form of the stitching and built into the patterns as to break up the monotony of the color combination. A puffy white fur had been worked onto the edges of the dress, sleeves, and neck too. The dress went all the way down to her ankles, where formal black boots peeked out. Draped over her shoulders wa a white shawl, which had no pattern to it other than a stripe of cyan running through its edges as well as some more puffy white fur. Wrapped around her midsection was a golden fabric to make the dress be more form fitting. Finally, she wore a matching golden headband with flower designs on it, from which small breeds hung from. And finally, although this wasn't part of the dress, Lyn wore her hair up, which would be the first time Florina had ever seen her like that.

"You look beautiful, Lyn!" Fiora was the first to comment, bringing her hands together and giving a few approving claps. "It really suits you!"

"Lord Robin will be left breathless," Isadora jested. "He take his eyes off of you for the whole wedding!"

"You know, for someone that always shows off a lot of leg, I wasn't expecting something like this to be your wedding dress," said Ana with a pout. "You have more fabric on you than you do on a day-to-day basis!" Every giggled at the comment, no doubt having had similar thoughts. "All jokes aside, you look stunning!"

It was now time for Florina to say anything, but she couldn't think of much else to add! It was as if they'd taken the words right out of her mouth before she had the chance to get one in. Fortunately, she still had a few encouraging words for her friend. "Lord Robin will fall in love with you all over again, Lyn. I'm so happy for you."

She meant those words, but somehow, it hurt to say them. She knew it was silly, but part of her felt that once Lyn married, she would lose her best friend forever. Husband and wife were meant to be best friends. Would there be any room left for her there with Lyn? They'd been through so much together. What if after the wedding, they couldn't meet like they used to back in Elibe? Lyn had spent so much time looking for Lord Robin… And she found him. But…

She squeaked when arms wrapped around her. She looked up to see that Lyn had kneeled besides her and was hugging her tightly. Only then did she noticed the tears going down her cheeks. How silly. It was meant to be a nice memory, and there she was, crying over her own insecurities…

"It warms my heart to hear you say those words, Florina," Lyn said, still having a firm grip around her. "Even after I told you that Robin and I were in courtship, you never talked about it much with me. I wasn't sure if you approved of our relationship. You are my best friend, Florina. You gave me the courage to look for Robin after so many had tried and failed to find him. You told me to follow my heart, and so I did. It was the only push I needed. And now look at where we are! I'm about to marry the man I've loved for my entire adult life, after so long being apart. And it's all because of you. Thank you, Florina. For being there and pushing me when no one else would."

And just like that, all those worries Florina had vanished. She hugged Lyn back like she never had done so before. Those words were what she needed to hear. With those words, it cemented the bond she knew always existed between them. No matter if they both married and ended up living far apart, they would always have a friend in each other.

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 **AN** : Like I said on the previous chapter, the whole idea behind this was to see what every single character were up to. I know I glaze over a few of them, obviously focusing more heavily on others. That was inevitable, unfortunately. Mostly has to do with the flow of things or me simply not knowing how to integrate a character better into conversations, Robin being the exception (small role completely intentional.)

I also decided to go over the description of Lyn's dress here to avoid cluttering the next chapter. There are a few things that Robin will notice there that weren't pointed out by Florina, but for the most part, this description should give a decent idea of what the dress is like. I was torn between making it be a traditional wedding kimono (found a couple of picture of Lyn wearing a kimono and thought she looked good in it), but opted for something that would go more with what I picture for the Lorca.

 **Poll on my profile** : Someone suggested on the reviews that I should write a piece of what Lyn and Robin's first time (yes, sex). Now, it would be published as a standalone story because I don't want someone reporting my story for a single M rated chapter. What I want to see is who else would be interested in that? I think a poll is the best way to go about it because I know that not everyone will want to leave a comment saying they are interested. Just head over to my profile and check out the poll. Should take you no longer than a minute or two. Let me know what you guys think. (if you are reading this at the time of publishing, it may take a bit before the poll shows up on my profile.)

 **Reviews** :

 **XenoEmblem4TW —** Alive and kicking! Robin would be upset about it, but there isn't much he can personally do about it. That's if he even finds out in time.

 **Greyjedi449t —** Gears are turning over there, but the effects of that will take some (in story) time to show. I mean, in the original game it took two years for anyone to know who the new King of Plegia was. What? Can't they just ask or something? Crazy people, leaving a place a mess...

 **potatoman098** —I appreciate your understanding. I hope I can start posting more frequently now to make up for it. I like writing about Panne and Legault just because the setups are so easy and fun to work with. You could be on to something with there being repercussions to Panne overhearing that conversation.

 **Whatstoknow** —My siblings and I all started playing it at the same time on Sunday. I played it for maybe 10 minutes today before my battery died, so next time I'll make sure it's charged before I play. It does seem interesting, if nothing else, but I just reached the whole thing about the school where you have to battle a few people before moving on, so pretty much right at the start.

 **JP I'm Italian** —I appreciate you still checking it out. This story did pretty well for it being inactive, actually. Even after a couple of months, views didn't drop bellow 40 a day, which I found interesting. Don't get me started about grammar in my native language (Spanish) cus I'm terrible at it. I've been learning/practicing English for about 20 years and even lived in the US for a while until recently, so I do have that bit of an advantage. I don't like reading in anywhere that has too many people around either. Can't concentrate like that, so I end up missing a few points of a story when I do try to do so. There will be a few more characters that have the possibility of marrying someone from another game, just gotta introduce more characters first! Legault and Panne? Possible because of how I'm going to play out the idea of different timelines in the future. It was inevitable Lyn would see Plegia, really. Robin didn't think he would be ever going back there if he could avoid it. Though they did visit, it's not as if he took her to the places he grew up in. After the wedding, there will be a mix. Some characters will stay in Ylisse, others will go to Elibe (note that I'm not saying "returning"). No comment on the whole Lorca thing mainly because I don't want to spoil anything that might be coming soon. For your idea with Tharja, Defcon Deceiver suggested a similar thing a while back. It's a good idea that I'll be using to explain Noir from Lucina's world, but I don't see the Tharja from the current timeline pulling off something like that. As for me, I recently moved back home, so I'm living with my siblings and my parents right now. Not married, not even dating atm, mostly because I don't get many chances to meet new people around here. I checked out the pictures (nice art!) If enough people are interested, I'll do it for sure, though I do already have a few images lined up that I can use. Thanks though!

 **SirGregSloth** —Thank you for your kind words and taking your time to read through this whole story, I really appreciate it. It's interesting to have the perspective from someone that hasn't played Awakening for a change. Usually it's the other way around. I used to really ship Lyndis with Hector before because of the lack of interactions with Mark, but then I read a story (can't remember the name of it) and from then on Lyn x Mark became my OTP. That's a lot of high praise. Don't know what to say other than thank you and I hope you stick around form here on!


	27. A family of two

**AN:** Finally, after all this time, it is finally here! Like I said before, starting from this point on wards, I'll be making chapters a bit shorter so that I can post much more often. I'm trying to get it to a weekly schedule, but we'll see how that works out. Might be that there will be times I post more. Or others, like this one, that take a few days more.

With this being such an important chapter to me, I wanted to make sure it was as perfect as I could get it. I was _supposed_ to get a vacation from work and thought I would be working more, but that didn't happen, plus my weekend was spent with family because of Christmas, so not much time to work then.

But that's besides the point! I'm not gonna hold you any longer. Go on, read the chapter! Let me know what you guys think by leaving a review! Remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it (it's freeeee!) Enjoy!~

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 _Chapter 27: A family of two_

From the moment he woke up, Robin's emotions entered a cycle that kept repeating itself over and over again. They ranged from excitement, joy, and cheerfulness to fear and even doubt—doubt in himself, not the situation he was in. It was a strange day for him, that was for certain; a day that would change the course of his life even more than the day he escaped from Validar with Tharja and left Plegia in self-exile. One could even say the day was more important than the conclusion of the war, at least for Robin and his soon-to-be wife. It was the day of their wedding, after all; a day he was meant to be nothing else but happy. However, as he paced around his all but empty tent, he couldn't help being worried about how the day would turn out. They'd rushed the wedding quite a bit, and though he trusted Lady Emmeryn, Lissa, and the rest of the people that helped him and Lyn organize everything, he still had to wonder if it was enough.

"Could you stop pacing around already? You're going to be out of breath before the wedding even starts." Chrom was looking over at him from a chair the prince had originally brought over so that Robin could sit, but when the tactician didn't take it, the bluenette seized it for himself. This was the first time that Robin had seen Chrom wearing something formal in royal colors, and it showed that the bluenette wasn't all that comfortable wearing a shirt and coat with _two_ sleeves. As Robin's best man, he couldn't attend the wedding wearing his usual attire, which the tactician was convinced his friend would've done had it not been, again, for Lady Emmeryn and Lissa. He was still silently thanking them for that. "Relax, Robin. Everything's gonna to be fine! I guarantee it!"

"We went into battle many times before, and yet, this is the first time I've ever seen you so nervous, Mark," the bearded bluenette, who stood by the entrance of the tent, said. Hector too had traded in his armor for his "lordy clothes" as Farina liked to call them. If looking at Chrom wearing two sleeves was strange, seeing Hector in anything but thick, plate armor was that much more, even if Robin did see the man wearing something similar the day _he_ married. As Robin's third, Hector was also required to wear something other than armor, according to Lorcan tradition, as it showed trust between the families that were uniting. Normally the positions that would be filled in by friends in a traditional Ylissean, Plegian, and even a Lycian wedding were reserved for family in Lorcan wedding. However, considering that neither Lyn nor Robin had any living blood relatives, they choose their own. While Robin chose Chrom, Hector, and Lon'qu, who sat quietly to a side, while Lyn had gone with Florina, Isadora, and Lissa. "If you rub your chin anymore than you already have, I'm worried you'll start rubbing off your own skin too. Stop that."

The brunette hadn't noticed his own actions, but now that someone pointed it out, he was trying hard to stop himself, being content with scratching at one of his fingers with his thumb instead. He knew they were right. He had nothing to be worried about. Lyn seemed very pleased with everything so far. She'd told him that she never really worried about a wedding before. All that mattered was that they would be there, together. But Robin knew that this was important in a different way too. Carrying on Lyn's traditions meant the world to her, and hence, they were important to him as well. He wanted to give her the best he could, and he knew that what they had _was_ as good as it got, but it still felt… lacking in some way. Perhaps the involvement of family was the biggest factor. The topic of families came up a lot when they were planning the wedding. Therefore, the lack thereof made the tactician feel like things weren't right. Realising he'd been quiet for too long, Robin spoke up. "It just feels like I didn't do enough, you know?"

Chrom frowned, but didn't seem like he had anything to say about it, likely not understanding the origin of Robin's concern. Hector closed his eyes and gave a single nod, as if he did understand where Robin was coming from, but not really knowing how to respond. These reactions were the complete opposite of Lon'qu's, who crooked an eyebrow as he look up at the groom. "You are marrying. So long as you are there and she is there, nothing else should matter. Weddings are formalities. Don't concern yourself over minor details you have no control over."

Robin had to stop himself from staring at the myrmidon for too long, for he meant no disrespect, but from all those present, he never would've expected Lon'qu to be the one to put him at ease. Lon'qu was right. A wedding wasn't like a well planned battle, where one should worry about everything. The fact of the matter was, there was only one thing that was important, and that the union of two individuals, like Lyn and now Lon'qu had reminded him. Taking a deep breath, Robin tried to push any worries to the back of his mind. He was getting stressed out over nothing. It was good to have people around that kept reminding him of his own limitations to put him at ease.

"Yeah, you're right," Robin finally agreed, letting his shoulders finally relax as the words came out. "I suppose that with the war now over, my brain is trying to cling onto something else to worry about. Thank you, Lon'qu."

Of course, even though he mentally was a bit more at ease, that didn't stop his hands from sweating. Robin would constantly have to rub them against his coat. Having known that something like that would happened, the tactician had opted to wear his coat until the very last moment possible before changing to the clothes he would be wearing for the ceremony. When they were brought to him, Robin found them quite interesting. They were very similar in design to those he'd seen Rath and Guy wear back in Elibe, except these were obviously not meant to be worn into battle by swordsmen, not only the overall design and materials used, but also how it would restrain some of the freedom in movement necessary to wield a weapon. Much like the cloak he wore from day to day, this coat was also a shade of purple that looked almost black in the shade. The golden trimming had a triangle pattern to it similar to that of the sleeves of his cloak and went over each edge of the coat. There was also a lighter purple sash that was meant to be worn over it, on his waist. All in all, a nice looking piece of clothing. Robin was glad that the eye motif from his cloak didn't make it onto the coat, as he always found them slightly disturbing, more so because of the mark on the back of his right hand that shared the same symbols.

"Okay, I think it's just about time," said Chrom as he gave a single clap to bring Robin back to reality once more. With those words, everyone but Robin made their way out of the tent as to given the brunette a bit of time alone to get changed. It wasn't as if his clothes were hard to get into. He'd heard Lissa complaining multiple times before that getting into her dress was impossible without someone giving her a hand. _If that's the case for a normal dress,_ Robin thought _, I can't imagine what it will be like for Lyn right now._

Once changed, there was still one last thing for the dark mage to do before he left the tent. Taking a piece of polished silver from the pocket on his cloak, he used the metal as a mirror. It wasn't that he was vain, but more to do with his hair always being messy. No matter how much he tried, it always went back to looking like he'd just woken up. The day before, he'd gone to Cordelia, who knew her way around hair, or so Gaius told him. He hoped to get her to share some secrets, but even she couldn't fix his hair enough for it to look decent. In the end, she offered to give him a trim. Looking in the mirror now, Robin was a bit disappointed. The haircut was great—it was significantly shorter to the point that he could now see his ears completely, but he still liked it—the problem was that it still looked messy. _At least I shaved_ , he thought as he ran his fingers from cheek to cheek. He could still remember Lyn's comment from when they first kissed, and though she said it was mostly teasing, he wouldn't want that to happen on this special occasion.

With everything set, Robin left the tent after taking one last look around to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Just outside, Chrom, Lon'qu, and Hector stood. The three were having a small conversation Robin had been hearing Chrom complain about in the past.

"As a prince, you'll need to marry sooner rather than later, Lord Chrom," Robin caught Hector saying. The marquess didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable Chrom was about the conversation. The prince only sighed, almost as if he already knew what the conversation was going to result in.

"You sound like my sisters, you know," Chrom complained as he crossed his arms over his chest and avoided looking at anyone. "Emm keeps telling me that, but then, isn't that a bit hypocritical coming from her? She's not married either despite being older than I am and she's also the Exalt! If someone needs an heir, it should be her. I just don't feel like I'm at an age to marry just yet."

"But you have someone in mind?" Chrom's cheeks flared. It was a good thing he'd been looking away, otherwise it would've been even more obvious to all of them that he _did_ in fact have someone in mind, someone that Robin already knew very well, even if his friend never actually came out and said it.

"Hector here married in his late teens," Robin cut in, giving enough of a break for Chrom to breath with relief, but just enough for Hector not suspect anything of the regression of the conversation. "And as I recall, your brother never married either, did he?"

The Great Lord shook his head. "Uther was too stubborn of a man to look himself a wife, even when his whole counsel and myself advised him to do so. That's all the more reason why you should look yourself a wife, Lord Chrom. If time has taught me anything it's to always plan ahead. Had things turned out differently during the war, your kingdom would be left with no one to lead it. Should I remind you that it was not only the Exalt who was in danger, but yourself and Lady Lissa as well?"

"That's not to mention that if you wait too long, you might miss the opportunity," Robin quickly added, noticing that the conversation could work to his advantage. If he pushed the right buttons, then it would be easier for Lyn to convince Chrom to talk with Sully later on.

Hector smirked. "Says the man that met his fiancee eight years ago, and yet, only confessed his feelings to her recently, despite everyone knowing how she felt about him, oh Master Tactician! What would the world think of you if word were to get out, I wonder?"

The jab was enough to get everyone to smirk at the brunette, who flinched in response. Comparing his love life to Chrom was hardly fair! "We're talking about very different situations here! Not to mention that it's only been about three years for me since I first met Lyn…"

Chrom was showing a cocky smile, much to Robin's dread. Thankfully, before any more teasing could be done, Lon'qu, the savior that he was, spoke up again. "Enough talk. We'll run late if we keep standing here. Let's move."

The camp itself felt somewhat desolate without the Shepherds walking around, despite it being a nice, sunny day out. Even most of the soldiers, Feroxi and Ostian alike, had made themselves scarce, going to the nearby town to drink or enjoying the small break in their tents. It was as peaceful as it could ever get in the hectic war-camp—though it couldn't be called that anymore given that the war ended. Without anyone stopping them the whole way, it only took the group a few minutes to find themselves at their destination.

Instead of a church as was common practice for Ylisseans or a house as it was for Plegia, the whole thing had been set up outdoors. That's not to say that there weren't any decorations or that people would need to stand or sit on the grass. The few trees around them had been decorated with ribbons of multiple colors and pieces of crystals were strung on their branches, refracting the light of the sun towards the surroundings, giving off an almost surreal feeling because of all the different colors that would change as the crystals swayed with the wind. A good part of the ground was covered by rugs of different sizes and colors, that defined the guest's sitting area. All those in attendance would also have a cushion to sit on as to make it more bearable for those who weren't used to sitting on the ground. And is turned out, those cushions made for decent chair stand-ins. Plus, it was much more affordable than getting everyone a chair. It was simple, and yet, it had quite a charm to it, dare say, a natural elegance to it. There was something quite nice about having an outdoor wedding. It was as if the small breeze helped put everyone at ease, especially Robin. The rustling of leaves was also calming to an extent, but that was overpowered by the sound of people talking.

Thinking back at it now, seeing most of the people there dressed so formally was quite strange. Since he'd met most of them, he could count the days in on hand of the times he'd seen some of them without a piece of armor on them. Frederick looked a lot bulkier than Robin had ever imagined the man to be, which should have been a given with the size of the armor the knight wore daily. Stahl was a bit more lanky. Vaike looked like a dork with his sleeves rolled up to his biceps, but it was as good as it would get with the axe-man. Nowi looked even younger with the puffy dress she was wearing, all smiles as she laughed at something or other. Matthew acted natural, likely used to wearing such garbs from his days at Hector's court. Robin could make a comment about every single one of them, but that would have have to wait.

As they approached, people started turning over in their direction. One by one, Robin greeted everyone and thanked them for coming. Sully looked uncomfortable when her turn came. She didn't smile at him, but at least she didn't frown or anything else either. _I should be happy that she showed up at all, if what Miriel said is anything to go by_ , he thought. Her responses were short, but Robin supposed that it was better than her not showing up at all. With greetings over, he moved to the very front, standing at the center, with his three friends to his side. Serra was there, waving at him joyfully. The priestess had offered her services for the ceremony. She was the only one from Elibe that could unite them in matrimony, after all. The girl— no, woman (Robin had to remind himself that every time), was instructed by Lyn on how to conduct the ceremony since the nomadic tribes of Sacae had their ways of doing things. They respected Saint Elimine and the gods of the other countries in Elibe, to be sure, but they were people of Mother Earth and Father Sky.

"How are you feeling, Lord Mark?" The pinkette asked as she rocked from side to side, looking at him with a clear glint of mischief on her eyes. If he didn't know better, Robin would think she was trying to poke fun at him for looking so nervous, but despite first impressions, Serra was a sweet one. And the best way to deal with one such at her was to not try and hide the truth, especially about something that was plain to see.

"I'm a bit nervous, to be honest," Robin confessed, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I was never one to think about marriage before. Standing here now, it's quite nerve wracking. I feel like I'll wake up any moment now and be back in Ylisstol. Or worse yet, Plegia."

Serra chuckled, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Well, I can assure you, Lord Mark, you are quite awake. It's quite common for men to be nervous on their wedding day. My dear husband was too, though he would never admit to it. And don't get me started about Marquess Hector! There are many stories I could tell you about _that one_. Worry not. It'll pass once you lay your eyes on your bride. I guarantee it!"

"Thank you, Lady Serra," Robin said, giving a small bow as a show of appreciation.

"You are very welcome, Lord Mark!" She showed a genuine smile, likely more having to do with him referring to her by title, as the priestess was always one to give too much importance to such things than to him thanking her.

"Oh, but I feel I should remind _you_ of something now."

"What could that be?" There was intrigue in her eyes. For a second she looked nervous, as if she'd forgotten something or there was a slight change of plans. Robin chuckled at her reaction. Fortunately, it was much simpler than that.

"During the ceremony, please don't call me 'Lord Mark'. No need for titles. And above all else, remember that my real name is _Robin_ , not Mark. If you called out for Mark, I'm not sure my brain will react at all. I'll stand there like a fool, just waiting."

Serra chuckled nervously, not rocking anymore. "O-oh! Right! Robin..." It was clear that Serra had forgotten all about that little detail. Robin counted himself lucky that he had the chance to talk to her once more before things got started. "But enough of that! I believe you would rather look over there than talking with me."

Robin raised an eyebrow, not sure if this was Serra's way to hide her embarrassment, but as she continued to insists, he finally turned to look in the direction she was pointing. His eyes widened as he found Lyn. She looked… incredible. Despite her body showing very little skin compared to her usual attire, there was something entrancing about her dress. The colors worked well together and made her natural beauty all the more prominent. The shape of it enhanced her curves all the more. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before or expected, but no one would call the dress anything but beautiful. This was also the first time Robin could recall ever seeing Lyn with her hair out of a ponytail or hanging loosely. Two small braids were fashioned into a sort of circlet, ending at the back of her head in a tight bun. She was also wearing makeup, which Robin hadn't never seen her wear before. Her eyelashes never looked longer nor her lips more enticingly red. Whether the blush she was showing was the real deal or makeup, the tactician couldn't tell from that far away, but he suddenly felt like the luckiest man alive to be marrying such a beauty and wondered if she knew she was getting the shorter end of the deal my marrying him.

Chrom nudged him after a couple of minutes, leaning in close to whisper something into his ear. "If you open your mouth anymore, you're jaw will hit the floor."

The groom hadn't noticed at all. It was embarrassing to be caught by Chrom gawking at his bride, but it was even more so when he noticed that his friend hadn't been the only one. Already he could see a few people snickering as they tried to avoid his gaze, Lissa being the loudest amongst them… and she wasn't really hiding it either. To make matters worse, she whispered something—likely Robin's reaction—to Lyn, who turned to look over at him. Their eyes met, and no longer did Robin care about anyone else but her. His mind went completely blank, his cheeks already hurting from the wide smile he was showing her. Likewise, she smiled back at him, her cheeks flushing an even prettier shade of red. It was torture having to wait for her to finish greeting everyone before she would come to his side, but Robin endured it, his eyes not leaving her for a second.

By the time she walked to him, it felt like an eternity and a half had already come to pass. Robin had to restrain himself from kissing her right then and there, crowd be damned. If he had, he would've gone back to messing up the usual steps people took in these kinds of things. No, he had to resist the urge and wait. It wouldn't take too long anyways. With both of them in place, they were ready to begin the ceremony.

Instead of the usual arrangement of the priest being at the very back with the bride and groom showing their backs to their guests, in this case, Serra would stand between the guests and Robin and Lyn, leaving the bride and groom front and center, facing the crowd. Chrom, Hector, and Lon'qu sat slightly to his left, while Florina, Isadora, and Lissa sat to Lyn's right. There was also no musicians present to play during the ceremony. They weren't needed there, as the sound of nature and the chiming of the crystals hitting one another as they swayed with the breeze were more than enough to give a calming effect.

Before Serra began, she had Robin and Lyn face each other and hold hands. They would maintain that position for the entirety of the ceremony. Robin was happy about it, as Lyn was the only one he really wanted to look at, but it also came with a noticeable problem. He lost himself so much in the nomad's eyes that he was only half listening to what Serra was preaching. He already knew most of what she would say anyways since he'd been present most times when Lyn had told her about what would normally be said. Of course, Serra being Serra would put her own twists here and there, but that was besides the point. What struck him the most was the idea of uniting not only two tribes, as was common for the nomadic tribes of Sacae, but two worlds, and how despite being apart for so long and by unimaginable distance, they'd found each other again, showing that they were destined to be with one another.

Before he knew it, the time had come for them to exchange bows. Serra turned to first Robin and said, "now, if the groom would speak from his heart, let his words reach for hers so that she may be his."

Robin swallowed hard, finding that his throat had dried up quite a bit. He knew what he wanted to say. He'd practiced for days and days, hoping not to mess up, but at that moment, those words he'd written weren't coming to him in the same way. He cursed himself for not bringing with him the pieces of parchment. It would've been embarrassing to have to read his vows, but at least he wouldn't mess them up. Did the Lorca know that this would happen? Was that the reason why they had them "speak from the heart"? He would have to think about that another time, as they were all waiting on him. Taking one last breath, the Plegian was prepared to push on.

"Lyn. When we first met, I was a very different man from the one that I am right now. I lived through many hardships time and time again, and it felt like the world had always stacked the odds against me. I'd lost my family and friends to war, I was taken from my second home to a cruel a cold place… I felt like I was in a dark cave, slowly suffocating. I had lost all hope not only in myself, but in those around me as well. The world was always cruel to me, so I wasn't sure how to react when I met a young woman that had a spark in her that I lost years before despite us sharing a similar past. You shined in my eyes like beacon, signaling the ship that was my life to safety. And though I hesitated to take you with me when I was leaving, I was at the same time glad you came. As we traveled together, I subconsciously clung to your light. I'd been drowning and suddenly I had fresh air. I wanted to protect you; to keep you from becoming what I became.

"Little by little, you broke down the walls I constructed around myself to keep others out. I began to see things differently. I experienced things that I can say I never had before. I have you to thank for that. You made me into the man that I am today. Had we not met, I'm not sure I would've ever had the guts to leave Plegia in the first place. I would've resigned myself to my fate, whatever that would be. But now? You gave me control over my own fate. You… quite literally gave me my life back.

"I no longer spend my time thinking about my past in disdain. No, I spend my days thinking about the future we will build together, you and I. I think of having a home we can call our own. Starting a family. Growing old together… I'm no longer afraid to face my tomorrow, because, at the end of the day, I know you will be there with me.

"I don't have much to offer you, Lyn. What I do have is my heart and the rest of my life. I love you more than anything in the world, and if it takes me the rest of my life just to show you how much you mean to me, then that is something I'm glad I can do. I would be honored to be called your husband. And know that, no matter where you go, I will be with you. Forever and always."

A small tear was threatening to overflow from Lyn. Robin was worried that he'd started thing with a dark tone, but seeing the way Lyn was smiling at him, all his worries were washed away. His heart was beating as hard as a drum in his ears. Time seemed to slow down for a moment, for which Robin was glad. He gave Lyn's hands a squeeze, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. There was nothing else he could do now but wait.

"The groom has spoke," said Serra before turning to look at Lyn. "Now, may the bride's heart speak true so that her words may reach the groom's heart."

Lyndis looked down at the ground for a second as if to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she looked back up at Robin, looking much more confident than before, though her eyes were still soft and full of caring.

"I didn't know how dear you were to me until the day you left Caelin. I knew we would go our separate ways eventually, but I wasn't prepared for how empty I would feel inside. At first, it was easy to put up with it. I invested my full time and attention taking care of my grandfather and getting to know him better. I also had friends with me that made it better, like Florina, Wil, Kent, Wallace, and even Sain. But as days became weeks and weeks became months, I knew something wasn't quite right, and it took others to point out what it was. I missed the conversations we would have every day. I missed seeing those rare smiles you showed every time we won a battle or we ran a scenario correctly. I missed you teaching me about tactics, even if I wasn't the best of students. But more importantly, I missed you being there no matter what I needed, be it to talk about something on my mind, to lend a helping hand, or just to keep me company. I didn't know it at the time, but I'd missed my first chance…

"And then a year passed, and against all odds, you came back to aid me in my hour of need once again. I was overjoyed to see you again! I would get my chance to tell you how I felt… But with everything that was going on—one thing after another—I didn't think it would be good to distract you with such things, and so, I decided to wait. It was hard, especially because you would still make time to come talk to me, even when there were so many other people joining us. Before I knew it, we'd won the battle against Nergal, but I still hesitated. I told myself that I would tell you once you came to visit Caelin, after Hector's wedding… but you disappeared. And so I missed my second and third chance…

"I went out looking for you instead, hoping that someone would know what happened to you. Years went by and I tried to stay strong, hoping that one day I would find you. And I did! The day I found you in Ferox was the happiest I'd ever been to that point. Except for you clothes, you looked exactly as you did when I first found you on the plains of Sacae. I didn't care about why that would be, just that you were there once again. But once more, though my heart told me to confess my feelings for you, I was too afraid. I wasn't sure you felt the same way, and if you didn't then I wouldn't know what to do anymore… So I stood by, not knowing what to do—hoping that I would come up with some plan that would make things worked. I could feel my fourth opportunity to tell you how I felt slowly slipping away. That is until _you_ showed me how you felt with a kiss… And now, here we are! Years later, but here we stand, together again…

"You said that you clung to my light, but I clung to yours as well. There wasn't a single day that I didn't ask myself 'would he approve of my actions?' or simply wondered if you would do the same. And now that I have you by my side again, in front of our friends, I'll tell you now what I've always wanted to say.

"Since the moment you woke up back in Sacae, I fell for you. I've loved you more than I've ever loved anyone else. You reminded me that there was more to the world than my own past. You pushed me forward every step of the way to become who I am today, and that makes me love you all the more. I too would be honored to be your wife, Robin, and to be able to call you my husband for the rest of our days."

Robin felt a warmth in him grown with every word Lyn spoke. How he'd wished he'd known back then. Maybe then he would've tried harder to stay in Elibe or find a way to return. Yes, he'd thought that all of it hadn't been an illusion—a part of the training Validar had put him through—but that didn't mean he couldn't look for a way back.

Those thoughts were broken when he heard a sniffle coming from his left. Both the bride and groom turned to look at the priestess, who was trying her hardest to hide away the tear that was rolling down her cheek. Robin and Lyn were both understanding, not wanting to push her forward. She already knew it was her turn to confirm everything.

Coughing into her fist to conceal her state, Serra said, "you've heard your words. It is clear how the two of you feel about each other, but I am still required to ask," she turned to Robin first. "Do you, Robin, take Lyn of the Lorca, daughter to Mother Earth, as your wife? Do you promise to protect her, to defend her, and to stand by her side for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said Robin, his voice firm, showing no hesitation. He'd never been more sure about anything in his entire life.

Serra then turned towards Lyn and said, "Do you, Lyn, take Robin of Plegia, son to Father Sky, as your husband? Do you promise to protect him, to defend him, and stand by his side for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Lyn said as her smile grew wider, her voice just as firm as his.

"Then, I pronounce you husband and wife! And though I know it isn't part of your traditions, Lady Lyndis, I think we all will want to see it done still." Lyn furrowed her brow slightly in confusion, likely wondering what the priestess was referring to. Robin, for his part, looked at his bride— no, to his wife. "You may ki—"

The tactician couldn't wait any longer. He laid a hand on Lyn's lower back and the other at her neck before giving her a kiss that tasted wonderfully, her lips feeling softer than he remembered. It didn't take long before Lyn returned it in kind, wrapping her arms around his neck as their friends laughed, clapped, and whistled at them. If they'd been anywhere else, it would've been enough to make Robin pull away, but he really didn't care anymore. He was happy, and he would very well enjoy the moment.

* * *

 **AN** : So I'll start of with something that made me a little sad. I'd said before that I wanted to base the wedding around some Mongolian tribe weddings and such. Unfortunately, I couldn't find much at all about them online... So I had to be creative, using whatever pictures I could find online as inspiration as well as thinking about tid-bits of what it would be like based on what little we do know about the Lorca. Lyn's wedding dress (described on the last chapter) and Robin's suit are based both on images I found online as well as the look of Lyn's clothes on Rekka No Ken, in case you are curious. In Lyn's case, I also got some information from a great manga called Otoyomegatari (A Bride's Story), so as far as the skirt goes, it is a lot puffier than what she normally wears, which I thought was a nice contrast. But because there is some Chinese and Japanese inspiration on some of the nomadic tribes' clothes, I had to find a middle ground I was comfortable with.

As you can see, I took advantage of the bows to kinda go back to their stories a little bit. I especially wanted to do it with Lyn because there have been very few chapters with her perspective showing up, and in the cases that they do, she is not expressing her past to anyone, because who would do that during a normal conversation? It helped to also weave in a few extra details in there that either hadn't been mentioned before or were mentioned so long ago some people might've forgotten them.

Last chapter I said that I wouldn't be doing the dancing/reception scenes, but I'm going back on that. Next chapter will be all about the wedding reception. It'll help me put a few things into gear as well as finish others for the next arc, which should "start" the chapter after that one with the army finally reaching Ylisstol.

 **Poll:** The site had a problem a few days ago and I lost about 4 of the votes that were put in on the poll :c But it's fine! The poll will be up until I post next chapter. With 10 votes, I'm pretty much convinced that you guys are cool with a lemon one-shot, so I've already started work on that. Of course, the more votes there are, the longer I'll end up making the chapter... or something like that. I have about 3k words so far as a draft that I'm pretty happy with. I'll let you guys know next chapter what the name to the story will be so that you can look it up, just in case.

 **Reviews** :

 **Sugouxxx —** I'm glad to see you around here again! I'm assuming your talking about the one-shot I mentioned? I'm already working on it, actually c:

 **Whatstoknow** —That was fast! I've barely touched it since last chapter. I was gonna play it earlier today while I was cooking, but man, I was like "naaaah". As soon as I turned on my 3ds, I set it down, didn't touch it again. The start has been sooooooo slow! Everyone tells me it gets better and all, but so far I can't get into it the same way I used to get into earlier version, you know?

 **potatoman098** —That's how I like my stories! Foreshadowing is always fun, but if you take too long to bring something back up, you might forget. With how long it's been since I started this story, I need to go back a read through it to remember just what is already in place, haha! Very true that they all have normal lives too! Because of the way the game begins, it's hard to imagine them taking breaks to just fool around too much. I think stuff like that will be easier to happen once the Valm arc starts just because there will be a lot more traveling involved.

 **JP I'm Italian** —I forgot that guests can't vote on polls. I wish there was a way to let it, but I guess then people would vote form multiple PCs or something. I honestly don't remember using Kellam all that much. It would be interesting to give him a class switch, but then the team would lose someone big on defense. Plus, there are enough thieves/assassins if you also count in those of Awakening that can take up the class by default. There will be a big mixer to see what characters go where. Just because one ends up in a different world doesn't mean that they'll have to stay there forever either. The scroll is... well, it'll come into play soon, as in a two or three chapters soon. But no, it isn't the Emblem Scroll. For Libra and Lucius I find that in most Japanese games, male priests are made androgynous and most of the time blonde too. It's pretty weird, now that you mention it... As for Florina, that was the plan from the start, but even given that position, I feel like she would be a bit insecure.

 **dragoon109** —In the opening cinematic for Rekka No Ken they give a little history for the world, mostly The Scourging. They explain that it was humans who struck first. You can find the info on the wiki too, in case you want to check.

 **Greyjedi449t —** Thanks a lot! Glad to hear you like it!

 **Yellowclover** —Nobody knows it, but Nowi is... a mastermind?! That is some food for thought right there! It's like you said, Sacaean tribes are based more around Mongolian nomads, but it's just the clothing that doesn't fit in so well, which was why I'd said I might mix it up with Japanese and such. Didn't do that much in the end. The only thing that might seem Japanese is the sash, but Lyn is wearing one with her normal outfit, so it didn't seem out of place to me. Well, I do have a background with roleplaying on other sites that does lend itself better for lemons, in my opinion. Like you said, I've read a few on fanfics here and... well, they felt very one sided and... awkward? Unrealistic? For me it has to do a lot with pacing, I think. In most cases I see it just BANG (hehe) it happens! No build up whatsoever. I've done one before on the first chapter of Uncertain Times that I was confident in, _but_ saying it would turn out like that would be wrong simply because the situations are so different. For that story, it helped to build the world and characters. In this one, it is more to explore the connection two characters have. Besides, practice makes perfect! Can't really grow as a writer without critic!


	28. Celebrating a union

**AN:** Well, it took a bit longer than expected, but I got it done before the the week ended, soooo technically still a week apart. This mostly came from working on the one-shot alongside this chapter and deciding what was best to have here and what would work better for the one-shot. To give you guys an idea, the first 2kish words of the one-shot were meant to be the ending for this chapter, but I thought it best to use them there instead to add some context for people that haven't read this story yet. It's been a busy week and a half, but I'm glad I could get this done on time.

I don't have anything enlightening or a rant prepared this time around, so I'll just say what I always say instead, and that is to leave a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter! Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it. Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 28: Celebrating a union_

The tent used to host the reception was a grand thing. While not as big as the one they used as a mess tent, it was still large enough to host them all and have enough room in the middle that would work as a dancing area. This tent was also much more heavily decorated than the mess tent, given the occasion. Colorful cloth hung from the sides and the top as well as the same type of crystals that had been hung during the ceremony were hanging from the top of the tent. There were cushions for every guest all around short tables that were set around the perimeter of the tent. Robin nor Lyn had thought out a sitting arrangement for their guests, as they were meant to sit wherever they liked, whenever they liked. Switching seats was no big deal and it helped to keep everyone socializing. Besides, who would want to deal with people sitting on the same table not getting along for a whole day?

The only table that was different from the others was the head table where Lyn and Robin sat. This was long, and all the people on it sat on the same side, facing the other guests. Along with the happy couple, there were also the same people that stood with them during the ceremony along with their dates. Chrom had brought along his sister Emmeryn, for which Robin was glad seeing as she well deserved to be there after everything she had done for the event to happen in the first place. Seeing Farina sitting with Hector was no surprise—they were married after all. And Lon'qu, most surprising of all, brought along Tharja. Once more, Robin silently thanked the myrmidon for his choice. No one would deny that the dark mages were important to each other.

On the other side of Lyn immediately sat a flustered Florina, who brought Kent with her. That wasn't all that surprising. The brunette had heard from Lyn that Fiora had declined her youngest sister's invitation in favor to have her open up to the opposite gender some more. Hence, Kent being one of the people the Pegasus Knight knew most, it was the logical choice, and one which Lyn approved of too. Isadora's choice was more surprising. Given their history together, Robin imagined that she would bring along Legault. With no one to judge the choice, it would've been fine if she did. Instead, the paladin brought Frederick, with whom she talked animatedly. Finally there was Lissa. The princess was a bit of a wild card. She was well known to get along with everyone on camp. Robin had been looking forward to see who she would bring along. Knowing Lissa, he should've known that she would bring Maribelle with her. No one ever said that the person they brought to the table had to be of the opposite gender.

Laughter and many conversations filled the tent by the time the food was brought in. As they ate, the bride and groom laced their fingers together, using their free hand to take bites of the food. Even if they weren't talking to each other, it was nice to know that they were still there. Robin turned to look at Chrom and Emmeryn, seeing as the both of them were being a little quiet. "I have to thank you once again for everything, your Gr— Emmeryn," he quickly rectified, remembering how many times the Exalt had told him to call her by name only. "I don't think any of this would've been possible without your help."

Both Chrom and Emmeryn smiled, the latter a little abash, but smiling nonetheless. Robin already knew what the Exalt's response would be. Perhaps because of that he and Lyn both felt like they had to keep thanking her, so as for her not to forget that they were really grateful. If they could, they would give her something in return, but what could you give someone that could literally have anything she wanted? Words weren't much compared to what she and Lissa had done, but it was what they could offer. Wiping away anything that was on her lips with a napkin, Emmeryn was ready to respond. "And once again I remind you of everything the you and Lyn both have done for my family, Robin. You've kept them safe in my absence, and for that, I will always be in your debt."

"Don't try to fight her on this, Robin," Chrom picked up where his sister left off. He spared a glance to Emmeryn before turning to look between his two friends, both of whom were now looking at him. "I've known Emmeryn all my life, and I can tell you that she can be very stubborn about this sort of thing, but you already knew that. You shouldn't think about it right now, my friend," he squeezed the tactician's shoulder that was closer to him. "Forget about everything that's happened before and just enjoy the day. You are married now! It feels like just yesterday we met up for the first time. Things have changed a lot since then, huh?"

"They certainly have," said Robin. He still remembered the doubt and paranoia in him when he first met Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick. He remembered the looks other people would give him. There was a certain stigma with him and Tharja being Plegians, made worse by the school of magic they practiced. Not that he could say the same wasn't true for Ylisseans in his eyes. But now, they were all part of something bigger. The Shepherds had swelled in numbers since then. Most everyone in the tent, Lyn included, was either a Shepherd or an important ally. And most important above all was the beauty that sat by his side, on whom Robin's gaze lingered, both of them smiling at each other when she noticed him looking her way.

"I think it's time," Lyn announced as she went to get up, Robin following not far behind. The two walked the the middle of the tent as they prepared for the music to begin. They were both nervous, as neither of them were much for dancing, mainly because the opportunity for it never appeared in their lives. Lyn had some experience, as she did dance during those few weddings she had attended when she was much younger. But that had been years ago, and she had the help of her father, with whom she danced, to guide her. Robin, on the other hand, didn't count himself so fortunate. That was the reason why the two ended up asking Florina, Olivia, and Virion for lessons. They'd practiced daily, first with the three of them present to receive pointers, and then alone at nights in their tent. It was pleasant. Back then they moved to the rhythm that was set by their teachers, or when alone, to one they both felt comfortable with. Now, they would need to move with the music. _A challenge,_ Lyn thought, holding on to Robin's right hand and his left shoulder while he held her by the back.

Lyn didn't envy Robin at that moment. Generally, it was the man that set the pace for dances. She squeezed his hand, hoping to reassure him that way, and he smiled back at her, his shoulders relaxing just a pinch. He moved once the music started playing. It was a slow tune, thankfully. It would help them not only relax, but get used to moving with music. Lyn was able to recall the movement sets they'd learned, turning on Robin's queue. Though they moved as they'd practiced, it felt different from back then. They wore very different clothes during this dance, and it showed, not in a bad way. Lyn now understood why Viroin and Olivia had remarked that turning was important. Every time Robin made them turn or just her, the long skirt of her dress spread out like a blossoming flower. And though her eyes were firmly locked with those of her husband, she could still see it happening, which made her smile.

Robin was entranced with the sight before him. If Lyn had looked beautiful before, he wouldn't know how to describe her now. It wasn't only the skirt of her dress, but the mantle that waved with their movements, and the smile and giggles she made whenever they got a movement right. He himself was enjoying himself quite well. He hadn't thought about it before, but music was an intrical part to dancing. He left himself be guided by the instruments, improvising at times with whatever step first came up his mind. Surprisingly, their usual sloppy steps weren't present during their first dance as husband and wife. Not once had either one stepped on each others' foot nor had they lost their grip on each other to the point that they would separate while dancing and rectify other than whenever there was need for a free spin, in which Lyn would spin in place a couple of times before they continued. If the music picked up, Robin would go for a feather step, taking four quick steps forward and then having Lyn lean back, her back arching perfectly. From the corner of his eye, he could see Virion's approving nods and Olivia clapping, which the rest of the attendees quickly joined.

It was a shame then that after doing so well, their first dance together came to an end. It would only be the first one of the day, which would spread well into the night, Robin knew. Still, that didn't stop him from looking at Lyn with longing when the music ended and they were forced to end the dance, the greenette leaning towards him and giving him a peck on the cheek and then the lips when he turned to her. "I'm looking forward to dancing with you again," she told him.

With the first dance done, the two had to start getting other people to participate. Like they'd discussed before, their first partners were the clearest choice. Robin went to a flustered Florina, who looked fluster enough that Lyn was half expecting her best friend to decline, but she did end up taking his hand. Lyn smiled to herself, hoping that the Pegasus Knight would open up more to Robin over time. As for Lyn, she walked over to Robin's side of the table until she stood beside Chrom, extending an invitation for the prince. The bluenette had to take a second before he realised Lyn was asking for a dance, even going as far as pointing to himself and Emmeryn having to shove him forward.

"I'm surprised you chose me of all people as your second partner," said Chrom, as he walked the nomad back to the dancing area, where Robin was already holding Florina and waiting for the music to begin. As soon as the two pairs were in place, the song began. This one wasn't as slow or romantic as the first tune was, but it certainly held up in terms of quality. "I thought you would go with some of the guys that came from Elibe, like Lord Hector or Lord Kent."

"Oh, I plan to," Lyn responded. She chuckled as they danced together. Chrom looked awkward, though the reason for it would remain a mystery to her. Perhaps it was because he wasn't used to dancing, or maybe because he felt nervous about dancing with a woman that was already taken. Whatever the reason, seeing him fluster was quite funny. The two of them had practiced swordplay many times in the past to the point that Lyndis knew his moves by memory. Chrom moved with a confidence in and off the battlefield that she admired. So it was hard for her to think that man was the same as the one awkwardly dancing with her. "They are good friends of mine. But I like to think that you and I are also friends."

"Ah! You are right, I didn't mean—"

"Don't worry, I think I understand where you were coming from." Spinning around, her eyes connected briefly with those of Robin. Her smile grew ever so slightly before she turned her attention back to the prince. "But going back to it, I also have to say it is because you are such good friends with Robin. I understand that you've kept him safe for a long time. You were the one that visited him most back in Ferox when…" She shook her head, preferring not to remember that time. "I wanted to take this chance to thank you for everything you've done for him."

Chrom seemed abash about it, but he smiled nonetheless. He also seemed more comfortable with the idea of the dance, his steps showing more confidence than before. Maybe because of that he was ready to tease her. "You keep calling him Robin, but shouldn't you try calling him something else?"

She tilted her head at him. "Something else?"

Chrom laughed, seemingly thinking that she was joking, but once he realized she was truthfully confused, he had to clarify. "Well, I know couples, especially married ones, like to call each other by pet-names. For instance, when Lissa fantasises about her future husband, she always calls him Hubby. Honey, Sweetheart, Darling, Dear… There are a lot of them, but I've never heard you calling him by one before. Not even Rob. Isn't that strange?"

Was it strange? She never really thought about it before. But if someone was telling her that, then maybe she should try it out later. But she was getting away from what she really wanted to discuss with the song already halfway done. She raised an eyebrow at him. "You seem to think about these things a lot," she said to him. "Could it be that you have found someone yourself, Chrom?"

"Not you too…" Chrom visually deflated, but kept his head up while avoiding eye contact. "If you're asking, I'm sure you know the answer already…"

"Then, how come you brought your sister with you instead of this woman you are interested in? Shouldn't you take advantage of the situation and make your move?"

"It's… complicated. Things have been strained for a while between us. Not to mention that it would've been disrespectful of me to you and Robin if I'd brought her to sit with us."

"We don't mind, really."

He laughed awkwardly. "Of course you wouldn't. You've spent most of the day looking at each other! Even now! I can imagine you two not even noticing anyone else but each other. Don't think I haven't seen you stealing glances at him while we dance, Lyn."

She flushed for being so obvious. Then again, the bride and groom had good reason to be like that. But the conversation was getting sidetracked and the tune was about to end. "Chrom, I think you know well the story between Robin and I, yes?" The prince noded. "Then you'll understand why I think you shouldn't bottle up your feelings and keep them to yourself. You have a good opportunity right now to clear up everything between you two and to decide if you want to move forward or not. If not for you then do it for her." The song came to an end and there was an applause, to which the dancers bowed to. Before Chrom could walk away though, the nomad offered one last bit of advice. "Think it over a bit. Dance with a few people and then ask her when you get the chance."

"I'll… think about it," said the bluenette after giving it careful thought. "Thank you, Lyn."

Not far from the two, Robin smiled. It seemed that the plan was in motion. Lyn had done her part, now all he had to do was make sure Sully accepted Chrom's invitation and heard him out. But if he was seen asking Sully of all people to dance with him as his third partner, it would be a strange sight. Thankfully, it seemed that he could stall for at least one more dance. His wife had gone with Kent for her next dance partner, while Florina had chosen Hector, on Robin's insistence. The chances of either of those two men choosing Sully as their partner was low, and seeing as Chrom went the safe route by asking Lissa—the tactician questioned why he didn't chose his date as a partner—it seemed like he would be safe for this one. So, he went back to who he originally thought would be his third partner.

"Tharja, could I have this dance?" Robin asked the other black mage, who seemed to glow for a second as she took his hand and followed him over to the dance floor. With all four pairs in place, the musicians started their third song that Robin did not recognize, which would only make his job of leading harder. But even if he lacked skills as a dancer Tharja more than made up for them. "I didn't know you danced."

The raven smirked at him as she gave him a sly look. "You don't know many things about me, Master Robin."

The brunette fought himself not to sigh. He'd asked Tharja countless times before to call him only by name, more so when she revealed the reason behind why she called him "Master Robin". The idea that he truly held the power of Grima within him was something he'd been trying to forget ever since they had that conversation in the wagon. But something like that wasn't easily forgotten, especially when one has a brand on the back of their hand for it.

"I could show you _many_ things that would both surprise and please you, Master," she whispered to him with a smile acting as an invitation. Robin moved back slightly, but with the hold they had on each other, it was impossible for him to feel all that comfortable. She huffed as she looked away. Robin followed her line of sight to see that she was staring at Lyn, who seemed to be laughing about something with Kent. "You are too honorable to be caught like that. You are also married now. I don't think you would want to be seen with someone like me…"

He felt a pang of guilt. "It's not like that, Tharja. I consider you a good friend, honestly. But when you say things like that, well…"

"Don't worry your pretty little head over this," she said, smiling at him once again, but Robin still felt guarded. "I know the Mistress makes you happy. I will not put myself between you two so long as she keeps it that way… unless you want me to."

The tactician could feel some sweat forming at the back of his neck. This conversation wasn't something he would ever want to have with anyone, _especially_ a couple of hours after getting married. Tharja rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. "A jape."

"A-ah…" He laughed nervously as he twirled her around. "Sorry, I thought… Well, I think ever since we talked about the whole… interrogation business back in Plegia I've been a little guarded when it comes to you. I'm sorry…"

"You do not approve of what I did to the prince and his dog," she deadpanned.

"I've had time to think about it since then. I don't think there was any malice behind what you did. You were trying to protect me. But with the way Chrom acted when we found out about Emmeryn's kidnapping, maybe it was all for the best as well. I don't want to imagine how things would've ended like had you not stepped in when you did."

Tharja hid her eyes from view, but Robin could still see her cheeks flushing and a shaky smile on her lips. "Do not worry, Master. I will always be there to protect you… and the Mistress too."

"I appreciate it, Tharja," Robin said, finally being able to smile. "I'm sure Lyn will be happy to hear that too."

On cue, the final note for the song was played and once again there were applauses for those that danced, the dancers taking a bow to their respective partners

The first to choose their next partner was Hector, who decided it was best to pick his wife. Through most of the meal she'd been indulging herself with the wine a little too much. Having her dance would be for the best; he would force some of the alcohol out of her system that way. Farina swatted his hand away at first, scowling at him with gritted teeth. He knew what that look meant, and he could only roll his eyes as he offered her his hand once again. This time she took it, though she didn't look one bit pleased about it.

Dancing like this was something the two of them were used to because of parties they attended back in Elibe. Hector wasn't particularly much for parties—not the ones that included many nobles talking politics all night and showering him and his wife with false flattery—which was why he hardly ever held any in Ostia since he became Marquess outside of those that were expected of him. Even so, the couple had danced numerous times together before, which was why, despite Farina's current state, she performed perfectly. Now, if only there was something they could do about that face of hers…

"Tell me, _Hector_ ," if alcohol made a sound, Farina's voice would be it. "Did you enjoy dancing with your _good-sister_?"

"Here we go again…" he said, mostly to himself. After a long, dragged out sigh that would make people think he had lungs the size of a dragon's, he looked at the shorter woman with a blank expression. "You're drunk."

"You avoided the question!" Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You _did_ enjoy it, didn't you?! I know you did, you heartless brute!"

"Florina asked for the dance—"

"And you _enjoyed_ it, didn't you?! I knew you were trouble from the beginning!" She swayed too much in his arms the more she complained. She was also getting louder with her ranting, which was thankfully not attracting attention to them. "You think less of me 'cus we haven't had another baby, don't 'cha? Huh? Huh?!"

"Now you're just being ridiculous—"

She slapped him, which made him clench his jaw. Farina wasn't someone that easily got drunk or even tipsy for that matter. Whatever Flavia had offered them had to be much stronger than what they were normally used to drinking with their suppers. Hector didn't feel it much. Then again, he was much larger than his wife, who'd also drank almost twice as much as he had. "Well, you can't have her! Florina is too pure for the likes of you!"

"Stop making me sound like a demon that's after the chastity of maidens, woman!"

"I bet you would try going for Fiora too if she wasn't already married!"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"You know what?" she looked at him with confidence. "I _dare_ you to do it! Go to Fiora and make a fool out of yourself when your plan to get all of us doesn't work out!"

"Every. Single. Time. How many times do I have to tell you I'm _not_ after anyone but you?" The whole thing had become a joke between the two since they married. They would often laugh about how silly the idea was. However, sometimes Hector questioned how much the Lady of Ostia thought of it as a joke. Like people said, if you want the truth, you ask a drunk. Could it be that she really wasn't confident about herself? Maybe he hadn't been showing her how much she meant to him as of late… He brought her close and kissed her cheek.

"You _chicken!_ I bet you can't do it and that's why— mph!" A tight hug could also work. At least it would keep the vein in his forehead from popping.

In contrast to the loud couple, Robin and Sully danced in an awkward silence. The only words exchanged between them where those of the tactician asking the redhead for a dance. _At least she didn't outright refuse_ , he thought, although she did show a lot of hesitation before she took his hand. Now neither of them could find it in themselves to start a conversation, it would seem. Robin chastised himself for not saying anything. He had to get a word out if he was to convince the cavalier of making amends with Chrom. But to do that, he would need to get to that topic naturally. He'd been trying to come up with a way to broach the subject while dancing with Tharja, but with everything she'd said…

"Ya're stiff as a board," came the voice of Sully. Robin, for the first time since they started dancing, turned to look to his dance partner, who was looking away with a scowl. "Know I'm not as good as the others and that ya rather be with Lyn right now, but damn it, loosen up! Ya asked _me_ to dance and I'm feelin' like I'm lugging around a log."

"Sorry," Robin said after laughing nervously. "I'm still in shock that you actually accepted."

"Not like I had much of a choice," Sully mumbled to herself. Finally she turned to look at him, her expression not showing any ill intent, but neither did she show happiness. "I'm more shocked ya asked in the first place. Hell! I thought you wouldn't _invite_ me to your wedding!"

"Lyn and I thought this would be a good way to… give us a fresh start," he locked eyes with his wife, who danced with an eager Basilio. The greenette nodded his way and smiled, as if telling him to go on. "We aren't so different from each other, you and I. I mean, we are both looking after the people we care for and fighting for the Shepherds, right?"

Sully shook her head, but couldn't hide her small smirk. "You must've a loose screw in ya or something. Not anyone would be so quick to forgive and forget."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the brunette said triumphantly, going as far as pushing out his chest.

"Don't let it get to your head, now. This doesn't make us friends."

"Maybe… but it's a start, no?"

"You don't give up, do ya?" She smirked again, "I can kinda see why Chrom opened up to you so quickly. He may be a bit thick, but he's a good judge of character."

"In that we can both agree," said Robin, hoping his own frustration with the man didn't show. "I swear, he _knows_ what he wants, but he overthinks the little things too much for his own good. That's probably the reason why he didn't ask you for a dance himself yet."

Sully took a step back, dragging him with her and bumping onto Donnel, who didn't seem to notice as he danced cheerfully with Florina. Never before had Robin seen the redhead so flustered. It was strange to think she _could_ get fluster. "What are you on about, damn it!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure he likes you. And guessing by your reaction, I could say that the feeling is mutual. But it's been awhile since I last saw you two together, and I have a pretty good idea why." She flinched, but said nothing to defend herself. "I tried dropping hints to him that he shouldn't cower away from his feelings, but like you said, he is thickheaded."

Unfortunately, the song came to an end, cutting the conversation short. This left Robin not knowing if he'd really helped Sully and Chrom at all, so before Sully could escape, he advised her that if the prince didn't ask her for a dance, then maybe _she_ should take the initiative. The two gave the customary bow and then parted to find new partners.

After Legault's dance with Tharja, it seemed that they were all given more than enough time to choose a new partner given how many pairs were now taking the floor. He'd taken note of how each time they were given more time to get someone. And when Tharja chose him, he didn't have to worry about thinking who he would be choosing as his next partner, as he already knew well in advance who it would be. And so, he concentrated in his dance with Tharja, who showed off the fruits of their labor well enough, moving with perfection every single time. He asked her if she got what she wanted out of it in the end. She didn't answer, instead asking him, "will you?"

He hoped so. He really did. But it seemed that no matter the circumstances, it was impossible. It was a hard reminder of those days, when he could do nothing, as _she_ wore an engagement ring on her hand. The assassin-turned-thief used to tell himself that it was due to circumstances. Back then he told himself the problem was her engagement, but then she broke it off. He would often wonder if that was a signal for him, once he found out about it. However, it was too late. No longer did he count with the freedom to do what he wanted, and wondered if returning to Bern had been a mistake. He told himself that he should not act, as the new laws passed by the King prohibited such a thing. And so, he resigned himself to think that perhaps in another world or another life…

And then they found themselves in another world, much different from their own. A world where people of all sorts sat together at a wedding, celebrating the union between two of their own. And they were there. A chance. He stood before _her_ , a hand extended after asking her for a dance. She looked beautiful with her long hair shining with the light and her deep violet dress that exposed her shoulders completely and even a bit of cleavage, something unlike anything he'd ever seen her wear before. But something was wrong. As beautiful as she appeared to him, she'd never looked at him the way she was doing then, her lips pressed hard into a thin line, making his smile falter.

"I can't…" said the paladin, her eyes stern. _Not like before_...

Legault's eyes widened, not sure if he'd heard her correctly. She certainly could take the offer, if she wanted it. Back then, they found whatever excuse they could to spend time together. So, it wasn't that she _couldn't_ , but that she _wouldn't_.

"Dame Isadora...?" He felt like he had to make sure it was really her, for he did not recognize the woman that sat in front of him while he stood. Perhaps it'd been only him that had thought back fondly of their time traveling together, following Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector. Six years was a long time. The heart he'd spent years training to control suddenly felt a pang—a squeeze like he'd never felt before. His hand dropped to his side. No other words came to him.

Another figure joined them, one of the local knights that were already traveling with Lord Mark before Legault openly joined them. This man was also the Dame's official date. It was logical for him to come ask for a dance after his first one. The man looked between them, whether he could read the atmosphere or not wasn't clear. "I am sorry to interrupt," he said, his voice leveled and cool. "But I was wondering if I could have this dance, Dame Isadora."

Isadora's eyes went from the knight to the thief and then back to the knight. _Ah_ … Legault kept away from looking at Isadora again, instead turning to the knight with a smirk. "I should be the one apologizing," he told Ser Frederick. "I needed some advice on how to get someone that is reluctant to give me a dance, and the Dame was happy to help. I'll be on my way." Turning around, he looked at Frederick one last time, his hand patting the knight's shoulder. "Treat her well."

Legault walked away, not daring to take one last glance at either of them. The space around him began to fill increasingly small, almost suffocating. Maybe this was for the best. Closing a door could only mean another would open, or so people claimed. But that didn't make it any easier. He needed to step out for a moment and get some air. Before he could, he suddenly felt his hand pulled. Turning around, he noticed a certain taguel—the _only_ taguel, as far as he was aware of, was pulling on his arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" Panne asked, her scowl boring down on him. "You kept telling me before that no one was allowed to leave until everyone had danced at least once."

"I did, didn't I?" Her brow furrowed further with his dismissive response. She was telling the truth of it. Even if he wanted to, it would be disrespectful to leave just like that, but at the time, he didn't want to think about it. Who would notice someone had skipped out? Either way, this was the last dance before everyone was up on their feet. With or without him, things would move on. However, the way that Panne looked at him told him that she wouldn't allow it. With a sigh, he pulled her up to stand. "Thank you for offering yourself as my partner, my Rabbit-Friend."

"I did _not_ do such a thing, Man-Spawn," she threw back.

"Nonetheless, you have to dance sooner or later." He felt himself smirking when she didn't fight him. He pulled them towards the dance area.

Meanwhile, observing the whole interaction from afar was Isadora. Despite having a good man in front of her, she couldn't help but stare as Legault took Panne in his arms to dance, whispering in her ear something or other. The more she looked, the more her heart broke. That could've been her in his arms instead of Panne. She _wanted_ it to be her. But if they did, then…

She forced herself to smile at Frederick, who didn't seem to notice her inner turmoil. That was good. Ser Frederick was a good man. He deserved to not be ignored after he'd gone to her to ask for a dance. But… The words on the book she happened upon a few days ago came back to her.

 _Though they traveled different paths, they stayed in each other's hearts. When they met each other again, ten years later, it was on a battlefield. Long gone were the days that the two shared together as allies. They were to face each other in combat…_

If she hadn't happen upon it and been driven by temptation, would things be any different?

 _He spared her life and that of two of her subordinates out of the love he felt for her, telling her to return to Lycia and never to return to the Whispering Woods. But her duty came before all else. And when she returned to the woods, she was part of a greater force. Legault's forces, comprised mostly of assassins, fell against the might of the heavy Lycian knights. Those that weren't killed in combat were sentenced to death by hanging that same day, Legault—their leader—amongst them. He stared into her eyes with betrayal, and she couldn't look away even as he struggled to get out of the tightening noose around his neck. It would be that same night that Dame Isadora flung herself out of the highest tower of the keep. Some say it was out of guilt and the betrayal of condemning the man that'd spared her. Others say it was out of grief of losing the one man she truly loved…_

"This has all been quite beautiful," she said with a sniffle, hiding her true feelings behind a common facade. A lot of people had shed a tear during the day. If she did it now, she could still pretend it was for the same reason they all did and not from seeing Legault smirk at Panne the way he would always do to the paladin. "I think they will be happy together… Don't you think so too, Ser Frederick?"

"The way Lady Lyndis and Lord Mark look at each other, I am inclined to believe they will be," the knight said. He turned to look at her, looking a little concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Everything is fine." _A lie_. "Everything is perfectly fine."

When that song came to an end, those few that remained sitted stood to find themselves the partners they liked most. With that, everyone would be dancing for the first time. Anna dragged Gaius along, Vaike convinced Maribelle to dance together, Canas chose Miriel, who would've likely stayed sitting otherwise, Flavia took Gregor, and even the usually unnoticeable Kellam seemed happy when Raimi took notice of him. But the couple that found each other first was the couple of the night. Robin's heart felt at ease once he had Lyn with him again, and Lyn wouldn't have it any other way.

"You and Sully talked for a long time," said the nomad, who Robin spun around a couple of times to enjoy a full view of her. "I take it that if she didn't hit you once then things went well."

Robin pointed in the direction of the woman in question. Sully and Chrom were already sharing a dance. It seemed that it hadn't only been the newlyweds who rushed to one another for a dance. The two smiled in unison at seeing the prince and the cavalier share a moment. "It'll be up to them now."

Lyn moved closer to him when Nowi and Ricken passed, their dance moves much more speedy than they needed to be, but the two looked like they were having fun. Lyndis took the chance to steal a kiss from his lips, Robin leaning in as it continued for far longer than they would normally feel comfortable sharing in public. But despite everyone around, they felt it was only the two of them at that moment.

With the night growing darker, it had seen many different couples dance together. Some were predictable, like Oswin and Serra, Virion and Olivia, and Sumia and Stahl. Others were fun to watch, like Canas and Nowi, Lon'qu and Tharja, and Frederick and Emmeryn. Whichever the case, it seemed that everyone enjoyed themselves to the fullest extent. Not the entire night was spent dancing, however. Even the happy couple couldn't dance all night. People broke into groups, enjoying the drinks brought by the khans and the company of their comrades-in-arms, sharing good stories, jokes, and some going further than that, going by the enamoured looks some shared when they thought no one was looking. The night was a success. And it was also drawing to an end.

With things winding down and the musicians long gone, Robin and Lyn announced that they would be retiring for the night. This also served as a last reminder that there was something the two had to do before leaving their guests to survive amongst themselves. Robin waved Chrom over, who nodded before pulling out a small package wrapped in cloth from under the table. The prince handed it over to Robin before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Youuuu reeeady?" Chrom asked with a cheeky grin. Going by the bluenette's elongated vowels, Robin assumed that Chrom had a little too much to drink. A first amongst the Shepherds, or at least since the black mage joined them. Not that anyone was mad at Chrom for it. Most everyone had drank their fare share throughout the night. Robin himself felt his belly and his cheeks burning from all the wine, and he'd been one to always control himself when drinking.

"You're asking that now instead of before the ceremony?" Robin said in mocked shock. He tried to keep himself composed, but found that keeping a straight face when Chrom's only response was looking confused as a puppy being ordered around was impossible. The tactician chuckled, shaking his head lightly. "Some best-man you are. But yeah, I'm ready."

"Go easy on her," Chrom tried to whisper, but his voice was still loud enough for a few others to catch on. Robin's eyes widened for a second. Chrom wasn't referring to the wedding at all, but to the _bedding!_ The brunette scowled at his friend, who waved his arms in front of him in surrender. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! You can be as rough as you want, I guess…"

"Gods be good to this man…" Robin said, facepalming. "I swear, I'm telling Frederick to keep a better eye on you. You're not a good drinker."

While Robin and Chrom negotiated some deal about keeping Chrom sober in the future, Florina approached Lyndis with a package of her own, this one being longer but thinner in comparison to the other. Lyndis took the chance to share one last hug for the day with her friend, who giggled happily before handing the package over. "I hope things between you two only improve, Lyn," the meek girl said.

Lyndis smiled fondly at her best friend, one hand holding the package while the other took one of her now free hands. "Thank you, Farina," said the nomad. "For everything you've done."

Robin and Lyn faced each other as everyone else gathered around them, keeping enough distance to be respectful, but close enough to satiate their curiosity. The packages were gifts that the bride and groom had prepared beforehand to exchange. They were meant to be something that they would carry with them whenever they weren't together, but had to be useful somehow.

Robin presented his gift first, extending it with both hands towards his wife. He had to hold it for her while she unwrapped the cloth from the item. She let out a small gasp as she ran her fingers on the bone limb of the compound bow. It was made out of a ram's horn, from what Lyn could tell, having seen many similar bows used by her tribe. With it came a small quiver and a few arrows. Her smile grew when she looked up at Robin. She'd told him before how her bow had been lost when she first found herself in Ferox. "It's beautiful," she told him as she took it, letting Robin fold the wrapping and then toss it aside. She held the bow close to her, admiring the craftsmanship. "I haven't seen one like this since…"

"Since the battle with Nergal, I'll wager," Robin filled in. He could still remember how much Lyn loved that bow back then, despite it not being anything special. When it broke, it'd deeply saddened her. Having been told that he would exchange a gift with ehr for the wedding, he thought nothing more fitting, seeing as h'd been the one to gift her that bow too. "This one should hold together better than the last one."

Her smile was like a bright and pleasant light in that tent. "I love it. I'll make sure to take better care of it this time."

Next, Lyn presented her gift to him. With his hands free, Robin was able to unwrap the cloth without much of a problem. Underneath it was a longsword with a simple scabbard. The first thing the tactician noticed was how the guard was much longer than any sword he'd held before. It also seemed to wrap around the handle to provide a small layer of added protection to the user's hand. This also brought his attention to the handle itself. It had a resemblance to that of Mani Katti's, with its black leather wrapping and gold inlays. It even had the same kind of beads that hung from the pommel. It was as if the swords were meant to be together, despite it being so different from one another. _Like us,_ he thought. "With how often I seem to go through swords, I'll have to make sure I don't lose or break this one," he joked. "You'll have to teach me how to take better care of it too. It's a very good gift, Lyn. I love it too."

The two exchanged a peck on the lips, which couldn't go further with how rowdy the Shepherds were getting. Knowing that there wouldn't be another opportunity to leave if they lingered there any longer, the husband and wife left the tent together. One hand holding their new gift and the other their lover's hand, they beamed at each other as they walked away, losing themselves in each others' eyes while the crowd behind them wished them good luck in their marriage.

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 **AN:** And with that happy note, I can kick start things for the next arc in the next chapter. I'm really excited about it. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy writing more fluff-centric chapters, especially because I got an excuse to explore a lot of characters, but after a good few chapters of the overall story not advancing much other than if you picked up on certain things *wink* I think it'll be good to push forward and reap all that I've sowed so far and see how it goes.

Overall, I think the tone worked rather well for this one. I liked mixing it up, maybe throwing a curve ball to you guys by including a silly bit with Hector there, but also a not-so-happy situation for Isadora. I'm like a parent, you see, and you all are my children. Can't have your teeth rotting if everything's sweet all the time, right?

Anyways, the one-shot named "Different Awakening: Wedding Night" should be going up right after this chapter gets published. It may take a bit longer for you guys to see it popping up outside of my profile because new stories take longer to show up than chapter updates most of the time, but rest assured that it's there. Do not worry if you are not interested in lemons. Anything of relevance happened there, it'll be mentioned on the next chapter or something.

 **Poll:** I would like to thank everyone that took part of the poll. I've officially closed it and appreciated your time checking it out. I think it worked pretty well as an extra tool for me to use to communicate with you guys, so I'll be relying on it in the future too.

 **Announcement** **:** Starting from this chapter, we have a Beta for this story! If you noticed a lot less mistakes than usual, you should thank **SirGregSloth**. Do not blame him for anything that's on the ANs, though...

 **Reviews:**

 **Sugouxxx —** Well, I couldn't just assume that. Would feel bad if you weren't actually there. But I'm glad I can count on you! And thanks, it's good to be back.

 **Whatstoknow** —I can understand that perfectly. I've spent my fair share of time reading fanfics because of the same reason. Also identify with not being able to finish games... Like I said, Pokemon Moon and Fates Conquest are just two of many... And thanks! Hope you enjoy this one as well!

 **Calypso** —Thank you very much! I did make a few notes on a possible honeymoon chapter. Given how things will be going for the next chapter, I might make another one-shot for it that would take place between this chapter and the next. Can't say when that would be coming out, but I'll about getting it started and posted soon!

 **Greyjedi449t** —Good to hear! I can't say I did enough research, though. Part of me wishes I was back in college just so that I could get my hand on one or two books from their library that I could use as reference.

 **Yellowclover** —Thank you!

 **JP I'm Italian —** While I do appreciate the suggestions, I didn't check them out. I tend to stay away from other people's work when it comes to stuff like this because then if I think of something I don't know if I'm being heavily influenced by their work or if the idea is my own. Still, thanks for the suggestions. Might read them at some point in the future.

Thanks for pointing it out. I went back and edited the chapter. That's what happens when your brain is doing one thing and your hands do another, smh.

From what I gathered, this types of weddings tend to be very simple and even quick. The celebration of the wedding is another matter, it a ton of food being available and such. I did take a lot of creative liberties to try and have a good mid point, though. As for Sera, I guess she's in the same boat as Libra, isn't she? Technically neither of them should be allowed to marry. As for Sera specifically, that might come into play at some point later on or not...

 **Jimbobob5536** —Ah, yes... Lucina. No worries, you guys will get to see her again on the next chapter for sure.

 **Anon Guest** —Is it? "Realization" is something you should consider first. For instance, if Lyn was told as a child that the moon was made out of cheese, then she wouldn't know better and think of it as true. If asked, she would say that it was made out of cheese, not questioning her source or the legitimacy of the claim. Only until she is corrected, finds a better alternative, or she realizes her mistake would she know that what she was saying was wrong or a lie. But is it a lie when you don't know better? When I was growing up we were thought that it was impossible for a hurricane to form/hit on the southern hemisphere. Turns out that isn't the case anymore, is it? Now, I was wrong back then, yes, but was I lied to or did I lie in saying that information. No. It was what was known. For falling in love instantly... I feel like a parent that needs to explain a simple topic to a child. Scraping the idea of love at first sight, you do know the circumstances that she was under _before_ meeting the tactician, correct? Being all alone for that long can make you cling to the first person you see after, maybe even imprint on them a little. Now, when you say that "all alone for 6 months" bit, I'm not sure if you are referring to me, as in the author, or Lyn. If you are referring to Lyn, it's easy to judge when you've never been in that circumstance before. If you are talking about me, then you are so wrong that I won't even bother correcting you.

 **DefconDeceiver** —In all honesty, I did plan on putting something on my profile about it because I've seen a few stories go unfinished because the author's unfortunate death. But at the same time, I didn't bother mostly because there is a very small fraction of people that actually visit my profile. As for something like an announcement chapter, I really don't like to do those sorts only because it gives people hope that it's an actual chapter, but turns out to be nothing.

Though it didn't show up this chapter, rest assured that the talk about Caelin will be coming soon, probably next chapter. It is big plot point on itself, even if it doesn't look that way right now. I do like too read about platonic relationships between male and female characters. That being said, the interactions between Panne and Legault are made in such a way that they can be read as romantic or platonic. Feel free to see them whichever way yoouuu want for now until the fog on the ships dissipates.

I would be lying if I said I didn't put some thought into it already. A lot of what I've thought of, like Legault and Panne, can be used as platonic or romantic, so it'll give me time before I decide which route to take. I do like the idea of Noir and Morgan, though, especially if you add Aversa (not in the harem, but as someone that's helping raise the kids) trying to influence Morgan some more.

For mortality rates in Elibe, I think a lot of it is implied. Though vulnerabilities and staffs are very similar between the two worlds, you can assume that they are more effective in Ylisse due to the lack of magical power in Elibe, meaning that dying from diseases would be a lot more common there too. You could even say that it's the lack of magic that makes it difficult for women to survive giving birth. But more importantly, I see that a lot of deaths in both worlds, but specially in Elibe, would be due to adventuring and fighting. That means that both worlds would suffer equally when it comes to children/teenagers not reaching adulthood, though it is far less noticeable in Ylisse simply because the birth rate is so much higher. Keep in mind that as far as medicine, both worlds stand on practically equal grounds.

As always, it makes me happy to see that you enjoyed the chapters. These all take a lot of effort, but it makes it worth it in the end when someone enjoys them, I say. Hope this one holds up to your expectations.


	29. For a better future

**AN:** A bit of a delay on this one, but still it's finally here!

Don't you hate it when you have a cool idea for a chapter, but then halfway through writing it, you remember it won't work because of something you wrote months ago? Yeah, that's what happened here. Between having to rewrite half the chapter because of that, getting a cold, and a short, unplanned business trip, it took me longer than I would've otherwise liked to get this done. At the very least I'm pretty pleased with the final result!

I forgot to mention this last chapter, but there were a few milestone for this story that I wanted to thank you all for. Between the last two chapters, this story has official surpassed 55k views, 125 favs, 175 follows, and 200 reviews! That's amazing! To think that my little story would get so far! Again, I would like to thank you all for making this happen. Here's for more!

Anyway, I leave you guys to enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you think by leaving a review or sending a PM my way. Also, if you really liked the story, don't forget to follow and/or favorite! Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 29: For a better future  
_

The war was long over and finally, after a long time waiting, the Exalt's army lead by her brother had been spotted a few hours away from Ylisstol. The news of Exalt Emmeryn's rescue and the victory of the war had reached the capitol within days of it happening, giving the citizens plenty of time to organize and prepare a grand welcome for their benevolent Exalt and the heros that rescued her: The Shepherds. Of course, everyone knew about the involvement of the Khans of Ferox, as they'd sent troops to defend the lands of the Halidom of Ylisse and route any and all Plegian troops from the territory. As such, they too would be welcomed with open arms and celebrated like the heroes the people saw them as.

When the day came, the citizens were well prepared for the arrival of the party. The streets and gates to the city had been cleaned entirely and decorated with vivid colors of blue, yellow, and green fabrics showing the sigil of the Exalted Bloodline proudly for all to see. People ran left and right, hurrying to finish all the preparations that the Exalt deserved during her welcome. Be it sweeping the streets or handing out flowers to be later tossed at the passing army as they headed to the castle, there was not a soul that didn't have something to do. Or at least none of the locals did. With how happy they all were, it was easy to go ignored, even if one was a suspicious individual lurking around the place, trying their best not to attract attention to themselves. One of these individuals in particular, a boy not quite old enough to be called a man yet, but old enough to not be a kid, made his way through the streets, avoiding all contact with strangers. He was quite taken with the sights presented to him. Despite wearing clothes of a foreigner, his features were that of someone born in the kingdom. Perhaps because of that no one seemed to mind his presence of even his antics as he mumbled to himself or talked with the running children about something to do with destiny and such.

The boy pulled his cloak tighter around him when he stopped in front of his destination. Instinct had him look up first and then to his surroundings to make sure he wasn't followed, something he'd been accustomed to do from his early infancy. He often had to remind himself that he no longer had to worry about enemies or traps hidden behind every corner. With a quick shake of his head and being awfully aware that he was blocking an entrance, he entered the building; the sign above the door reading "Blue Wind Inn" showing its age as it swayed and creaked.

The boy and his allies had chosen to stay in that particular inn because of its design and their familiarity with it. Other than the man heading the bar near the entrance, no other soul would know who entered or left the place, which was ideal when trying to avoid attracting attention to one's self. That was also why, before they came _here_ , they'd used the place as a base of operations for years over, say, the castle. A small exchange of nods with the man at the bar and the boy headed upstairs to his assigned room. Standing outside the room, he could already hear the voices coming from within, and they didn't sound pleased. Not that that was uncommon. Smiling, he pulled down his hood and entered the room.

"Salutations, my fellow rewriters of history!" The boy was cheerful as he entered. Mayhaps too much so, as those within the room stopped their conversation and simply stared at him. He would count that as a victory point to himself. His presence had obviously shocked them all into silence! But looking around some more, he picked up on the tense atmosphere in the room. Had some evil sorcerer or sorceress placed a hex on his allies? Where they planning on turning on him? Growing up, he'd heard many stories of such things happening—the art of a mighty sorceress well known amongst those living in the city. His cursed sword hand flew to the hilt of his sword, his cloak discarded behind him. "And what is this _evil_ presence I sense? Speak now, otherwise my sword hand will ask for blood!"

A sigh broke the silence. A girl with twintails, dressed in fighting leathers, scoffed as she leered at him like a lioness, trying to show her superiority with only her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned further back on the bed she was sitting on, her legs crossed as well. "Shut up and close the door," she said with the same familiar disdain she always did since they were all children. "And lower your voice! We don't want _anyone_ knowing we are here, numbnuts."

 _Ah,_ thought the boy, _perhaps the atmosphere was due to the door_. _A hex on the door?_ With a quick apology and bow of his head, he closed the door behind him hoping that if there really had been a hex placed on the door, it would be dispelled by his action. All those eyes that seemed to burn a hole into his forehead looked away, but the atmosphere did not lose any of its previous tension. If anything, it'd become more awkward with no one saying a word. With his sword hand not begging to unleash his fearsome power, he walked over to sit on the bed directly in front of the one the twintails girl sat on, his posture being relaxed and at ease.

"Anything worth reporting?" The bespectacled young man—a powerful mage—sitting next to him asked. With book and quill already in hand, he was ready to fill a page in his log with any information they could find to be of importance, just like he'd done for years and years, maybe even before things got started. The boy's first memory of the young man was very similar to the current situation, which made the boy smile. The others in the room seemed to be interested on what the swordsman had to say as well, as they looked at him inquisitively. And even with her eyes narrowed, it was clear that the twintails girl also wanted to hear any news of the world outside the four wall in that room. Despite the room being large enough to host them, their belongings, and a bed for each one, the boy knew from experience that it could be suffocating to stay there for days at a time.

But before the boy had a chance to respond, the girl spoke up again. "Whatever you're gonna say, say it in human this time, Owain. We're in a hurry."

The boy, Owain, deflated and pouted, feeling his pride take a hit. Normally he would protest—to defend one's self and what they believe in was important—but this time, he knew that with how the group was acting, they would not tolerate such a thing. He hunched his back and lowered his shoulders, being more than a little disappointed that he would need to omit important parts of his tale, like how he saved a helpless beast from a druid's foul wooden monster or rescued a damsel by finding her lost heirloom. Scratching the back of his head and mumbling his disappointment under his breath, he reported his findings. "Nothing out of the ordinary. People are about done with things. They're expecting the Exalt to arrive in the next hour or two, guarded by the Pegasus Knights, the Feroxi army, and the Shepherds. Rumor has it that there is also another group of allies that are coming with them, which they found in Plegia."

"Other allies?" repeated the mage, who'd written down every detail spoken by Owain. Even with his eyes looking towards the taleteller, the young man did not stop his hand from writing down every detail about what this all could mean for them. It was a shame that someone with such skill refused to take up a sword instead of a tome. "We've heard as much as of late from the patrons downstairs. People believe them to be Ostian Knights, going by the design of their armor and the banners they carry with them." Owain noticed that along his notes, the mage had drawn said sigil based on the rumors circulating around.

"And you're supposed to be the smart one here…" the twintails girl scoffed. She rolled her eyes at even the mention of such a thing, especially because they'd all been hearing about it for quite some time. For his part, Owain thought that it was all part of the grand plan set in motion the moment that their group was sent back in time by the Divine One. Surely, they would need more allies to keep peace in the realm! What better allies than the legendary Knights of Ostia! "There's no _way_ that's true. Those are just...fairytales adults tell children. We _know_ Robin is from Plegia. He probably had some friends around there that—"

"Unlikely. The characteristic of the armor commonly worn by Plegians does not fit the description we've previously compiled into the dossier. Not to mention that it's improbable for Robin to know approximately three thousand well armed soldiers that would betray Plegia so easily. Robin was— is a gifted tactician, but he never was attributed with what is commonly referred to as the gift of the silver tongue." It seemed like the girl wanted to protest, but the young man continued before she could. "We also know that the Halidom wouldn't be able to outbuy a mercenary company working for Plegia. Despite his madness, the records have shown that King Gangrel had coffers full of gold hoarded in the capital at his disposition that he could use to keep any number of mercenary companies under his contract for a foreseeable future. Not to mention that there are no records of mercenary company of that size and description anywhere."

"Laurent is right, Severa." The voice of their leader broke the silence. She leaned further onto the nightstand she was using to keep herself standing, brushing some of her blue hair aside. From all of those present, Lucina, the oldest member of the group, was by far best informed in the current situation than anyone else. That was because she took an active role early on, having saved the Exalt from an assassination attempt as well as sparing her father from a grave wound that would've otherwise kept him bed bound for weeks. That had gained her praise from the rest of the group that had gathered over time. Unfortunately, she'd gone against the better judgement of the group and taken things too far by attempting an assassination of her own. She failed. Twice. And the second time she was caught and imprisoned in Castle Ylisstol's dungeons for weeks until she was rescued. Had it not been for Owain's own knowledge of the castle, the hole in its wall, and knowing where the keys to the dungeon's cells were stored, he wouldn't have been able to rescue Lucina, leaving her at the mercy of the Pegasus Knights upon their return. "When I talked with Robin, he mentioned that some of the people that have joined the Shepherds are from a different point in time as well. We can assume that those allies _are_ there because of him. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the actual Knights of Ostia. He mentioned the names Lyn, Legault, and Isadora, all of whom I've met personally during my time with the Shepherds."

"Those are all names relating back to the legend of Elibe," Owin cleared up. When he was but a child, his mother would read him all those stories and many more. They were her favorites, and so they became his favorites too, for who wouldn't want to be as strong and determined as Lord Hector, as honorable and heroic as Lord Eliwood, or as smart and cunning as the mythical Tactician? The boy would even reenact some of his favorite tales with his friend Cynthia and whoever else wanted to join them… But that was a lifetime ago; That was before Grima… Lucina looked pensive, but nodded at her cousin.

"So what?" Even with everything said, Severa didn't seem to care one bit. She bared her teeth, her jaw clenched hard as she gritted her teeth for a second. "Are you saying you don't want to kill Robin anymore?"

Lucina flinched at her words. Despite what she'd done, Owain knew that Severa was being too harsh. "That's—"

" _You_ were the one that came up with that plan, Lucina. _You_ were the one who told us to believe what _that_ stranger said back then. And now you're saying that we shouldn't kill him, even after you tried it twice? What gives?"

"Taking the decision to attack Robin wasn't something I did lightly, Severa," the princess protested. When _that_ person first appeared, everyone doubted their account of events. But as time passed and they had a chance to mull it over, they started to connect the dots in their mind, although most of it was based on their own speculation. It was as if the stranger had planted a seed of doubt in them and their own feelings made it sprout. Lucina took the initiative once more, thinking that dealing with Robin at the time would've secure a safe future for everyone in the long term. Even if Walhart would later on become a problem, they could deal with him. When the rest of the group found out about her plan, it was already too late. Lucina's actions were seen as a sign of lack of trust by all of those present. Had their bond not been strong, Owain was sure that some would leave, but in the end they all remained despite the doubt of whether Lucina's actions had been justified or not. Robin was a good man to all of them growing up. To think that he would betray everyone that held him dear and then transform into a monster that would destroy the world was unthinkable. "This timeline has already changed substantially from our own. Not only was the war with Plegia resolved much more swiftly, but my father was never injured and aunt Emmeryn yet lives. We should see that as a victory."

"Then… C-Can we let things go?" All heads turned to the fifth member of the group. It was always like that. Ever since the failed attempt on Robin's life, the silver-haired girl became more quiet and reserved. She shut them all out. Often, she would be lost in thought, though if someone called her out for it, she would deny it or brush it off like it was nothing else, at times going as far as apologizing for spacing out. Sometimes it would be worse, especially when she held on to her medallion like a lifeline. In those cases it was best to give the girl some room. "Things are different now… Maybe Robin won't—"

"Oh, please," said Severa, her voice still harsh. "The guy never married or had any family to speak of. It's not like anyone will miss him if he dies anyway. We should get it over with now while we still have a chance, like Lucy said. The longer we wait, the harder it will be."

Even Owain felt a knot in his stomach. It was true that Robin never married nor fathered a child like the rest of the members of the Shepherds. Even Tharja, who was said to be a loner amongst them, had Noire to count as her family. _But he did always say that we were all his family..._

"That may not be necessary," said Laurent. "To begin with, Robin being behind King Chrom's death in our timeline is hypothetical, based solely on what the Shepherds said at the time and what the stranger told us recently. We have yet to procure any evidence that would prove it to be factual.

"There is a high probability that things have already strayed from how they would turn out from our timeline long before we took an active role in the events. An example is that here, Robin was found together with Noire's mother near Southtown. In our timeline, Tharja did not join the Shepherds until King Chrom took action against Plegia for the assassination of the Exalt, during the siege of the Plegian capital. This leads me to believe that it is possible for events to unfold in such a way that it would be unnecessary to murder Robin at all.

"On our arrival, we believed that by saving Exalt Emmeryn during the events of her assassination attempt, we would secure a better future for our parents and the people of this world. And though it was a success because of Lucina's involvement, the Exalt still found herself in the hands of the enemy later on. However, that has also been resolved now without our," he looked over at Lucina for a short moment before turning back to Severa, "direct involvement. Hence, it is possible that the events that will unfold on this timeline will be vastly different from our own."

"What would you suggest we do then, Laurent?" the bluenette asked, sounding genuinely curious about it.

"I've said from the beginning that we should take the role of observers and let things unfold before deciding on the best course of action. Your involvement in recent events may have already changed things further, as we can't say for sure whether or not the Exalt would still live had the Shepherds not prolonged their stay in Regna Ferox."

Noire visibly relaxed, a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips. It was good to see the girl come out of her gloomy state. Owain understood perfectly why she would be happy about it. From the start, it had been the two of them who'd been against the plan of killing Robin. Lucina and Severa were convinced that they should take action immediately based on what the stranger told them, while Laurent took a neutral stance, saying that they should wait and see before taking action. But with his change of heart, there was a majority vote for them not to act again based on impulse. If the majority of the group could agree on what they should do, then Lucina would have no choice but to listen to them and reel herself before doing anymore damage.

Suddenly, the sound of a crowd forming outside reminded them of what was happening outside. Lucina moved toward the window, taking a peek at the world beyond those walls. "We can decide on what to do later," she said. "It seems the welcome party is ready. I don't think we'll be able to discuss this so… openly after the army arrives. Once the army is through the gates and reached the castle, we can meet outside the city to prevent anyone from overhearing our conversation."

"With people busy with the festivities, it is likely that we will have more privacy outside the city walls than in this room," Laurent added. "I approve. I also suggest not moving as a group. Though it is unlikely that we would be recognized by anyone, the same cannot be said about our leader."

Lucina gave a weak nod as she looked away. "Agreed. I will sneak out through one of the other gates while everyone's distracted. The four of you can take a look at the parade, if you like. I will wait for all of you near the big rock to the north-west."

"Ah, the Cabal's Stone!" Owain said with excitement. It had been too long since they last used the rock as a meeting point. It would be nice to see how different its surroundings were from what he remembered. And so, the group split off, each heading in a different direction, that is, except for Owain and Noire. The archer had always been the nervous type. Being surrounded by a large crow would likely make her even more nervous. Owain decided it would be best to stay with her to keep her out of trouble and to make sure she reached the meeting point on time.

"Nervous?" he asked as he adjusted his cloak and made sure his hood covered his hair entirely, much like they'd taken to doing since they first arrived. Noire jolted in response, letting out a squeak and her hand pulling down on her hood just a bit more, which made her companion chuckle. "I know this isn't exactly how we thought we would be seeing our parents for the first time. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit nervous myself, but only a bit! My parents aren't married yet, so it'll be fun to—" He had to stop himself from going further when he noticed Noire darken, despite her hood masking most of her face. The topic of parents had always been a sour one for the girl as far Owain could remember. With all the excitement of seeing his own parents, he'd forgotten that she never knew who her father was.

"...It will be nice to see Mother again," said the archer after some time had passed with nothing said between them. Despite it all, Noire had always been close to her mother, which was no surprise. They only had each other, after all. For a moment it seemed like she was going for her talisman, her hand lingering over the spot she carried it, but then her hand dropped to her side. "I-I just hope she doesn't see me. I don't think I would be able to hold myself back if she did…"

Owain hummed in agreement. The idea was tempting. Any one of them could let their emotions run lose if they weren't careful. "Worry not! For that's what I'm here for! I will stop you if you try to do anything out of line." He scratched his cheek, hoping not to sound too silly. "Ehm… Promise me you'll do the same for me? I don't know if… my sword hand will let me keep control over my own body once I see my parents."

"That I can do," she said with a soft smile, for which Owain was thankful.

Finding a spot to watch the approaching party was easy enough. The areas near the castle and the gate were the most crowded, which would've been great for blending in. However, they were also meant to observe the state of the Shepherds. Standing in the middle was best. There wouldn't be that many people around to block their view, but enough for them to not stand out too much. The boy's heart was thumping in his chest, something which he shared with Noire. He had to be at least as nervous as she was, though he would never admit it. He almost wanted them to get out of there. Seeing his parents would be nice, but at the same time, remind him of all he'd lost. Whatever he ultimately decided on—whether to stay or leave—it didn't matter, for already he could spot the Pegasus Knights proudly riding their steeds. Leading the procession was someone that he recognized only from descriptions told to him by his mother and uncle. A proud woman with a beauty mark on her cheek carried a standard bearing the sigil of the Halidom on it. The people around the two travelers cheered madly at seeing it, throwing petals in the air before the Knights even reached their location. Owain could swear he'd gone deaf for a few seconds from how loud the crowd was.

He held his breath as the figures behind the Pegasus Knights made themselves clear, the crowd going wild. Though he'd never known her personally, Lady Emmeryn was certainly what everyone ever described her as being. She radiated ease and elegance that had all the people smiling; peace personified, some would say. But, though the Exalt was important, who Owain really wanted to see was his mother. She looked so young! And even a bit uncomfortable as she walked with her siblings, waving at the crowd. The boy's face must have been showing all the emotions he was going through, because he felt Noire take his hand in hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Whether that had been her intention or she was trying to make sure he didn't run after his mother, he wouldn't know, but he appreciated it just the same. He clenched his jaw hard and tried his best not to shed a tear.

"She looks so young!" He exclaimed as he glanced at Noire. "She can't be that much older than we are now! She could even be Lucina's age!"

Behind the Exalted family walked the Khans of Ferox, Flavia and Basilio. The latter looked unimpressed or stoic, Owain couldn't figure out which one. In contrast, Khan Flavia seemed to be enjoying the moment to the fullest, going as far as slapping the man beside her on the back repeatedly as she laughed about something. Owain heard that despite the usual banter between the khans, the two of them were good friends. He'd only met them a handful of times while growing up, being too young to really be included in any of the political meetings that were held in Ylisstol. Seeing them now, he could see that it had to be true. Why would Basilio not do anything otherwise?

"Is that the sigil that Laurent was talking about?" Noire asked, pointing toward a banner carried by a man in orange armor and dull-green of hair. Owain analyzed the banner, hoping to catch a better glimpse at the people marching with it. His eyes widened in shock and excitement as he noticed who walked behind the banner. If there'd been any doubt before as to who the sigil belonged to, seeing the Great Lord himself walking arm in arm with a much shorter woman of hair as blue as his made it very clear. The man looked even bigger and more intimidating in person than what he always believed him to be.

"It really _is_ Lord Hector!" He wasn't the only one to think such a thing, as there were already several others around them talking about the Knights of Ostia. "Oh, to think we would have this opportunity! I wonder if he still carries Armads with him!" Noire furrowed her brow at him. "Ah, sorry. Armads is one of the eight legendary weapons of Elibe, first carried by Durban the Berserker. Don't worry, for I will teach you everything there is to know about Elibe like my mother did to me. It's a family tradition that spans generations!"

"O-oh…" Noire didn't look all that convinced, but all the same she smiled. "Thanks…?"

His explanation would have to wait for a while. The Shepherds were already in view and Owain really wanted to see his father. _If Mother looked that young, I wonder what Father is like_ , he thought. But as the group got closer and closer, instead of hearing people chanting out the names for all of those who fought for the Halidom, people were more malicious.

"Are those Plegians?" asked one of them.

"They are! What are they doing here?" asked another.

"Don't they know they _lost_ the war?" asked a third.

"Prisoners of war, maybe?" guessed one more.

"Doesn't seem that way."

"The nerve of them! To walk amongst Prince Chrom's own forces!"

The displeasure seemed to take over the cheery atmosphere of the crowd. Noire tried to make herself look smaller, hiding closer to Owain as if not to be recognized as someone of Plegian descent. It all felt…wrong. Robin and Tharja both fought for a worthy cause, so why were people being so condescending? Could people not see that they were allies? Owain tried his best to remember what things were like before for Robin and Tharja, but try as he may, he couldn't think of too many times that he'd seen either of those two interact with people around Ylisstol outside the castle walls. Had things been like that back then as well? Was that why they spent most of their time there? It left Owain with a bad taste in his mouth. Pulling Noire along, he made his way towards one of the gates, forgetting to look for his father. He would get other chances for that later on. If he felt wrong from how things had turned out, he couldn't imagine what Noire was going through.

It took them longer than necessary due to having to navigate around so many people, but soon enough they reached the Cabal's Stone. The area itself wasn't that special. There were a few trees around that offered enough cover from any prying eyes, but not so much that it would be suspicious for people to be there, which was why they'd chosen the place when they were still children as the best place to play. It was also just far enough from any building that it gave them all the privacy they would need. The perfect hiding spot, as Owain liked to say. Lucina was already there, sitting on top of the stone lost in thought. It took Owain three times calling out her name before his cousin snapped back to reality, smiling and waving them over. "Isn't it a bit early for you two to be back?" she asked as she jumped down from the rock to stand level with them. "I wasn't expecting anyone to get here for another hour or two."

"We had to leave," Owain said, his anger leaking through his face. "Things weren't as great as we thought they would."

He noticed Lucina resting a hand on the pommel of her sword, wary of his words. As their leader, she was always in the look out for danger and thinking the worst of any situation. Her reaction was something to be expected. "What do you mean…?"

He looked back at Noire, who'd gone ahead and sat hugging her legs with her back resting on the stone. They would need to talk about it eventually, but he thought it would be best to spare her having to do it twice. Looking back at the princess, the swordsman shook his head. "Nothing too important, but worth noticing. It'll be best to wait for Laurent and Severa to come back and talk about it then, in case they'd noticed it too."

"Very well," she said, her hand relaxing, but not sounding all that convinced. "Then we will wait for everyone to show up and we can talk about any of the bigger details." Thankfully she didn't press the topic, offering a kind smile instead. "Why don't you tell me what you thought about your mother? I'm sure you were surprised by how different she looks."

The boy spent the next hour going on and on about not only his mother, but how different everyone looked. It was hard to think of the adults back then looking _that_ young, many not showing signs of the scars they'd gained through the years that had become part of their appearance. Before anyone knew it, the two last members came to join them, turning the conversation more serious.

"I have a few subjects I would like to talk about. Feel free to add any observations of your own while I talk," said Laurent as he adjusted his glasses. The other four nodded in response before he continued. "First, I would like to confirm that the allies mentioned before are indeed the Knights of Ostia. The sigil matches the ones I've found on books regarding the Legends of Elibe."

"Supreme observations, my sharp-eyed friend!" Owain smirked, feeling like he'd caught something that even the smartest person in the group may have missed. "Not only that, but the First Great Lord himself has shown himself to be amongst them. It is not surprising to see him leading his troops, though. Most Marquesses would do so."

"So it's true then?" Lucina asked to no one in particular. "Somehow, important figures of Elibe have transported themselves here?"

Laurent nodded. "That appears to be the case, though I can't speak of how they would be able to do so nor their motives. As curious as I am, we can discuss that further another time. For now, I would like to move on to the next subject, which I found to be quite curious. While people celebrated the return of the Exalt, it seems that they didn't take too well the inclusion of Plegians amongst those walking with the Shepherds."

To everyone's surprise, it was Severa who seemed the angriest. "The nerve of some people! I seriously wanted to punch them!"

"I thought you would find the situation to be humorous given your standing."

Severa glared at the mage. " _I_ have a reason to dislike Robin. We know what he'll do in the future. The people here _don't_. And Tharja is innocent! They have no right to complain about people that went out and fought a war against their own country for the better of Ylisse."

"Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be many who shared that opinion," Laurent said, his voice a little low. "Before reaching the castle, when the insults didn't seem to have any effect, rotten fruit and vegetables were thrown to both Robin and Tharja." Severa clicked the tongue, Lucina frowned, Noire gasped, and Owain clenched his fists. "This went on for a short time, only until the Exalt called for peace. The crowd did stop, but the damage was done. A small group of Pegasus Knights made up of Ylissean and what I suspect to be Ilian troops flew the both of them and a woman of long, green hair back to the castle. I assume the other woman to be Lyn, given the description Lucina previously provided us. I would also like to note that by the way she interacted with Robin and by the ring on her finger, it is likely that she married the tactician at some point between the army's departure from the capitol and their return."

"I wouldn't be surprised if those two did marry," Lucina commented. "Back in Regna Ferox, the two of them seemed to be rather close—closer than I've ever seen Robin being with anyone else outside of my father. She didn't leave his side until he woke up after I attacked him. And that was still the case even after he was awake."

"Given these new developments, I would like to hold a new vote as to whether or not Robin should be killed," the mage said. "Given that Severa's argument until now has been that Robin did not have any family, we should take his marriage to this woman to be a considerable factor to his and our future actions. I would also like to remind everyone that Exalt Emmeryn yet lives, which should show that this timeline has strayed heavily from our own."

"That sounds reasonable," said Noire, finally standing up and walking over to where the rest of them stood. When a vote was called, no one was supposed to question it or make excuses to delay it. It was one of their rules. Therefore, the five of them stood in a circle, ready to cast their vote and opinion on the matter. No matter the result, they would all need to stick with it, which was why having a majority vote was important. While Lucina's actions had gone against the decision they'd made before, she didn't go against the vote per se. Now, with Laurent's mind made, this would seal their decision once and for all…or at least until someone called for another vote at a later time.

Each one of the members extended a hand to the middle, each forming a fist. They exchanged look to make sure they were ready for it. "A thumb up means killing Robin," Lucina stated. "A thumb down means we sit back for the time being—"

 _Bloodlust!_ Owain though, and it was clear he wasn't the only one. Letting instinct take over, he jumped away from the circle just in time before an axe embedded itself into the ground. Luckily, the rest had the same idea of moving out of the way. Lucina, Owain, and Severa unsheathed their swords, Laurent took out his tome, and Noire nocked an arrow, ready to fire at the intruder.

"Tsk, you weren't suppose to move," said the figure, who pulled out the axe from the ground as he stood up with a grunt. It was another young man, which was surprising given the strength of the blow directed at them. He wore a blue chestplate, but not much else in terms of armor other than greaves and bracers of the same color. But having such a large weapon and even with only those pieces of armor, Owain was concerned that no one had noticed this person approach them before. "You're all pretty quick, I'll give you that."

Owain's fingers danced on the handle of his sword. A worthy opponent had shown himself! But to what effect? Lucina had spoken before of the Black Fang seemingly being after Robin, but giving the man a once over, he didn't seem like the assassin type. _Someone from our own timeline?_ Owain gulped. It was a possibility he couldn't dismiss, given that Grima held an immense amount of power, enough to send a few agents of his own after Naga's champions.

"Who are you, Ser?" asked Lucina, who took a step forward, but held Falchion high in the air, ready to strike back should their enemy try to attack again. "What business do you have with us that you would go so far as to attack us?"

"You were talking about assassinating the tactician a moment before, weren't you?" The bluenette cocked an eyebrow as he adjusted the axe he'd been resting on his shoulder. "That's reason enough for me." Taking a leap forward, the man was ready to unleash another powerful attack on them. However, this time they were prepared for it, especially Lucina. She caught the blow with Falchion easily, but by the way she gritted her teeth, maintaining control over it was difficult.

Severa took the initiative, running to Lucina's aid. Pulling back her sword, she thrust it forward, aiming at the man's head. It seemed like it would connect, but mere inches away from the target, her sword was stopped by another.

"You need to learn to stop rushing in alone," a woman of hair as green as healthy grass said as she parried away Severa's attack before jumping back to a safe distance. Like the man, she wore little armor; a breastplate, greaves, and bracers, though hers were black with golden edges and red lines that ran across the black background. This mysterious woman sheathed her sword, but her stance and the fact she kept a hand on the hilt of said sword made it obvious she was ready for combat. Her scarlet eyes flicked to the man in blue for a moment. "And stop swinging so wildly! My father always said to be conscious of the battlefield as a whole."

The man used the sudden appearance of his ally as a distraction, kicking Lucina away and gaining some distance. He clicked his tongue as he calmly walked besides the greenette, clicking his tongue again. "Yeah, yeah. There was no one there that I didn't want to hit anyway."

"Surrender now, you fiends!" Owain took a step forward this time. The muscles on his sword hand clenched hard, making him frown. "I do not know who you are, but I will say this! Should you attack again, know that I hold immense power in my hand! I will not hesitate to use it if I have to."

"Hey, what's the funny one talking about?" The man asked his companion, leaning a bit her way, who responded by shrugging and pushing him away with her shoulder. It was always a good sign when enemies underestimated Owain. They couldn't understand what it was to hold true power like he did!

"I will only say this once! Lay down your weapons and surrender now. You are outnumbered two-to-five. The odds are in our favor."

"Make that four-to-five." Owain eyes narrowed as two other figures joined the enemies side. However, these two he recognized immediately. His eyes widened as he took in the features of the other two. The male figure wore a regal outfit of black and blue with a bellowing cape behind him. His red hair that flew with the breeze was kept in place with a bandana he'd wrapped around his forehead. The girl to his side wore a mage's outfit of red with a tan dress underneath and brown trousers, and a headdress kept her long, blue hair in place. There was no doubt as to who these those two were… "Though I don't like this situation, you've forced our hand, my lady."

"I will _not_ let you harm my father again," said the greenette. "We were there too late to stop you the first time. Now we will stop you before you act!"

"Your father?" Lucina looked on in confusion, Falchion lowering a bit. "Just who are you people…?"

"If we are to duel," the redhead unsheathed his sword and stood ready to fight, "then I say introductions are in order. My name is Roy, son to Eliwood and Ninian, Lord of Pherae."

Owain felt his form faltered at hearing the name. Despite his young age, Roy was a fighter of legend. A fight against such an adversary would not be easy. It was equal parts exciting as it was terrifying. But despite that, he wasn't the only one that had experience in combat. Owain and his companions had been tested through the many battles they'd fought through the years. They would put up a good fight.

"I am Lilina, daughter to Hector and Farina, Lady of Ostia and leader of the Lycia Alliance," said the girl of blue hair, showing her tome to be ready at her side. Owain knew that Lilina had a sharp mind. It was best not to think of her as a weak link in an otherwise strong team composition, as she could easily outsmart most men, if the stories he'd read about her were anything to go by. "And this is my brother," she said, signaling towards the man in blue armor, "Uther, Commander of the Knights of Ostia."

"Brother?" Owain looked in confusion. "I thought Lord Hector and Lady Farina only had one child."

"I assure you," said Uther as he glared at Owain, "I am my parent's son."

Finally it came time for the last of the enemies to present herself, but it seemed she was in no rush. If looks could kill, the one she was giving Lucina would certainly have ended the battle instantly. Still, seeing as all the others had done it, she was left with no choice but to follow suit. "My name is Madelyn, daughter to Robin of Plegia and Lyndis of Sacae, chieftain of the Lorca tribe. I say to you all, surrender now and you will be shown mercy."

"Mercy for what? We haven't done anything," Severa protested.

"Aye, you haven't," Madelyn pointed towards Lucina, "but she has. Our business is with her."

"We won't abandon our leader," Owain declared. Taking a quick glance around, he could see that Severa, Laurent, and Noire all agreed with him. "If you want to fight one of us, then you will have to fight all of us!"

"You are an honorable man to not abandon your friend," said Roy. "I can respect that. However, the time for talk is over. Get ready!"

Fighting broke out in a blink of an eye. Lady Lilina was able to cast her spell much faster than Laurent while everyone else closed the distance. Her spell, a basic wind spell, hit Laurent with enough force to throw him to the ground, but not enough to knock him out of play. In response, Noire shot her arrow at the enemy mage, but this one didn't hit her mark, as Uther let the arrow hit his chestplate instead in defense of his sister. The arrow didn't do any noticeable damage, but it gave Severa the advantage over the axe wielder. Where Uther counted on raw strength, Severa had speed. For every couple of attacks he deflected, she was able to hit him once, sometimes hitting armor, others hitting flesh. Still, the advantage the girl had quickly disappeared as Uther went on the offensive. Noire had already lined up another shot at the man when another of Lady Lilina's wind spells hit her, throwing her against one of the trees. By then Laurent was up and ready to engage the other mage in combat.

Meanwhile, Owain was faced with Lord Roy while Lucina fought against Madelyn. Knowing it was best to focus on his own fight and trust his cousin's abilities as a fighter, Owain made sure not to get distracted by what the others were doing. They were all more than capable of handling themselves. Swords clashed over and over again, and he felt his nerves melt away with each sound of steel ringing in his ears. This type of combat was exciting. He'd fought against enough Risen to sharpen his skills, but what worked against the reanimated monsters didn't work against the living. Risen's movements were predictable, whereas Lord Roy's seemed to adapt over and over again depending on how Owain attacked. Still, Owain wouldn't let himself be pushed around like a nobody. He had noble blood in him and the power of his cursed hand to draw on. Holding his sword with both hands, he struck out with as much strength as he could muster, making Lord Roy's constant attack falter.

"Your technique speaks of your experience, Ser," said Lord Roy as the two held each other at a respectable distance, waiting for the other to attack. "You are much stronger than I would expect for someone so young. You have my respect."

Owain smiled despite himself. To be recognized by one of his idols was something out of a dream. However, the circumstances were less than ideal at the moment. He shook his head to clear his mind, narrowing his eyes at the redhead in front of him. "I will take that as a compliment! Though I think we both are close to each other's age, so the same could be said about yourself, Lord Roy."

"A shame then that we must fight each other," said Roy, showing a sincere sadness. "But I can't back down now knowing what's on the line—"

"BLOOD AND THUNDER!" Owain and Roy both turned to look at Noire, who'd stood up and looked like pure fury had taken over her. Or more specifically, she'd allowed her amulet to take control, allowing her fearsome self to appear. Had they not been in combat, it would've been bad. "You insolent mortal! I will not allow you to harm my friends!"

The archer nocked and shot arrows faster than ever before, switching targets between all enemies. Lord Roy, Lady Lilina, and Uther were all forced to create some distance in order to defend themselves against the barrage of arrows, but Madelyn opted to stay forward, barely avoiding the ones coming her way. As a result, she received a few wounds, but the arrows only grazed her skin. When Lady Lilina threw another spell to Noire, the archer jumped out of the way, forced to retreat further and stopping her attack in the process. That's when the nomad took her opportunity for a swift attack on a visibly exhausted Lucina. In a blink of an eye, the greenette simply vanished from view entirely, reappearing behind Lucina, who tried to turn to defend herself from the attack, but was too slow. Thankfully, the attack didn't connect as it should've. Laurent and Noire, seeing the situation, had sent a lightning bolt and a arrow respectively towards Madelyn, forcing her to change her trajectory slightly. However, Lucina receive a cut to her side.

"Lucy!" Forgetting about his own battle, Owain ran to his cousin, wrapping an arm around her to keep her from falling to her knees as she gasped for air. He pressed his hand on her injury, blood seeping through his fingers. This was bad. Though most of them had received injuries during the fight, they were nothing too serious. Lucina was already breathing heavily. There was no way Owain was letting any more of his family to die. Looking at the others, it seemed that all of them were thinking the same thing. They didn't have a healer with them, meaning that they would need to get her to safety and treat her themselves. "Everyone, we need to leave!"

"Wait, Owain," Lucina tried to protest through gasps, but she went ignored. Severa was already there, wrapping another arm around the princess to drag her by force if they needed to.

"No buts! We are getting you to safety. Now." Without sparing another look at Roy and the others, the three of them ran away from the area as fast as they could, Laurent and Noire covering their retreat.

"Shouldn't we follow them?" Uther asked as he watched the group disappear into the distance.

"This should be enough for now," said Lilina before letting out a long sigh and showing just how exhausted she was. In truth, it was good that the battle had ended. Though most of them didn't show it, she knew that every single one of them had felt the strain of battle as well. "We've made it clear that we won't tolerate their actions anymore. I would rather avoid more bloodshed if possible."

"Then we should return and look after our wounds," Roy said, sheathing his sword. "The others will want to know about this. We weren't supposed to act until we got a new report."

"You heard what they said, Roy," Uther growled. "They were planning another attack on Robin!"

"That's true," Roy looked over to Madelyn, who was still staring with a frown at the directions the enemies had fled. This battle had been more personal to the nomad than anyone else, which was why she'd gone all out from the start. It was ironic that she'd been the one that reminded Uther about her father's teachings when she was the one that seem to forget them in her own fight. He walked over to the greenette, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It can't be helped at this point. Let's head back and think about what our next move should be, Mady. Your parents will be fine for the time being."

The nomad swiped her sword in the air, cleaning the blade from any blood that stained it before sheathing it. Still looking into the distance, she asked to no one in particular, "but how long will that last?"

* * *

 **AN:** You know, one of the things I was really happy about was that a few of you asked on the reviews, and probably more were wondering, what would be of Lucina? Well, I guess you have your answer now. I know that having her escape could be seen as an "easy out". That being said, I always found it frustrating that none of the other future children characters roles of significance in the overall story. Besides, wouldn't you think that Owain of all people would go to his cousin's rescue?

You may have also noticed that I was careful not to mention any specific pairings for the future children. I didn't even want to talk about hair color, seeing as they're meant to get that from the other parent. Does Lucina have a brother or sister? Who knows... Noire was the exception, but that's because _her_ story in particular is something I have already planned out in my mind.

Then we have Binding Blade characters making an appearance as well as two OCs. You'll be seeing more about that probably in the next chapter or two, depending on which idea I decide to go with. For Lilina's appearance, I went with her original character design. Roy's is based on his recent redesign (you should Google it.) Madelyn is based on Lyn's drawn in Fates style (again, google Fire Emblem Fates Lyn and it's the first result.) As for Uther, I imagine him being a younger version of Hector with much less armor. A shame that Hector never got the same treatment as so many other Lords did.

Special thanks to SirGregSloth for Beta-ing!

 **Reviews:**

 **Whatstoknow —** Happy coincidences are the best, aren't they? You are dying from heat and at the time I was dying from the cold. Weather is pretty crazy here. I go to sleep when it's 24C and wake up to it being 5C. Or you get a coat out because the morning is cold and then by noon it's 28C or something. I haven't gotten so many colds in years... Thanks, Obama.

 **Greyjedi449t** —Can't blame you. Most people are, hehe. I glad you liked it! Hope you enjoy this one as well, even if there isn't fluff.

 **Yellowclover** —Interesting insight on Isadora's situation/reaction. To be sure, there are many ways she could've reacted to it. One would even think that entering a relationship with Legault would've been the best way to avoid conflict in the future, but Isadora is a woman of duty, meaning that she would put what's best for Pherae and her house before her personal feelings. As for the sword, you are correct with the guard being representative of a rapier. I watched a video about the history of swords in Europe and saw that show up before the rapier was more commonly used. You are also correct in the type of sword. I did at first type broad sword, but can't remember why I changed it. I think I'll go back and make it into a shortsword because it does make more sense, seeing as he is meant to use the sword more when the targets are too close. Thanks for pointing it out!

 **SunderingSlime587** —It's mostly thought that Sue is Lyn's daughter because she is the only woman Rath can end up with. I personally don't put any weight to it, seeing as Rekka No Ken came after Binding Blade. So, no, Lyn won't be Sue's mother. I'll likely go with an unnamed character as Sue's mother or maybe another Rekka No Ken character. As for Zephiel, I've thought about it often and have a few ideas in mind on how he could get involved, but that mostly depends on whether or not I want to make a sequel to the story that would focus on the events of Binding Blade. For now, it's a big maybe.

 **DefconDeceiver** —I did have to dial down Tharja's, should we say, possessiveness over Robin. I think it fits better with the overall theme of the story here. For the weapons, it's almost certainly that those will be the same ones they use through the rest of the story. Though they aren't named, the significance of them will make it hard to replace in the future. As for Aversa, that is an interesting thought. I do have one idea already in mind to bring her into the fold much earlier than in the game, though I won't say much else other than she'll be showing up again at the start of the Valm arc.

 **Matrix of Evolution** —(Ch3) I think Virion is one of the most under appreciated characters in the game. It's a fun character to write about, who I still have to find a place within this story so that I can play around some more with.

 **The Wild One** —That sounds familiar, but I can't say I've heard about it before. It could work, maybe. I'll keep it in mind and see if it works well with what I've planned. Thanks for telling me about it!

 **allen Vth** —You don't know how happy I was when I read your review because I was already going with this idea of showing what happened with Lucina. That being said, don't be discouraged by her running away. She'll likely show up again as soon as next chapter, actually. Just because she escaped the dungeon doesn't mean that the whole memory-wipe thing will go unresolved, especially when it's essential to the beginning of this arc.

 **JP I'm Italian** —Hey, they were celebrating! Can't judge them for drinking a bit more, right? Especially with Flavia there! If someone refused to drink, I imagine she would be there to _force_ them to drink. To answer your question regarding the one-shot and "losing their virginity", I would like to clear something up. Lyn didn't lose her virginity from riding a horse. It is common knowledge that the hymen can be broken from horse ridding and other non-sexual activities. The reason I even made mention of it is because in the Elibe, which I'm basing more on medieval traditions, a woman who loses her hymen may seem impure or be judged as a non-virgin. That's why in a lot of medieval shows, books, and movies, you won't see noble maidens riding a horse. As for Robin's eyes, it's a nice catch, but don't put too much weight into that basket just yet. There are a few other characters other than Nils and Ninian in Rekka No Ken and Binding Blade that have red eyes, but have no link to dragons. Raven, Alan, and Miledy come to mind, for instance. Then again, this could be me just trying to put you off my trail!

 **Anon Guest** —That would be a Delta, wouldn't it? Could you imagine how long a chapter would take if I had to go all the way down to an Omega? XD The errors were my fault. After Greg checked it out, I wasn't too satisfied with the ending feeling rushed, so I went in and changed the last 300 words into a 3 pages and then published it as it was. I appreciate you letting me know of those mistakes. I'll be sure to go back and looking for them! Also, regarding their oldest child, you are correct in saying that they would have that blood. And even if the future Madelyn only made a reference to the Lorca, that doesn't mean that her name wouldn't carry weight in Caelin. Just to clear things up about that, I'll say that there are three different timelines at play here as of now. The Madelyn from the present timeline could very well end up being Lady of Caelin instead. Or maybe Morgan or Marc will take over Caelin. Or maybe Kent will keep it. Who knows, right?~


	30. For their future

**AN** : First things first: wow! I did not expect the previous chapter to be received so well! I'm really happy that you all seemed to like it. It's always risky when you try to do something a bit different on a story you've spent over a year working on, so I'm glad that it payed off in the end.

I would like to apologize for delays too. "I'll make shorter chapters," I said. "It'll be easier to update!" Yeah, doesn't look that way. I said I was gonna make 4k~ chapters, but this one came out at 9k. Still, I think it's well worth it, especially right now that this arc is just getting started.

Anyways, I'll keep this short. Let me know what you thought of the chapter by leaving a review. Also, remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it. Enjoy~

* * *

 _Chapter 30: For their future_

Despite the might of its capital city, the Halidom of Ylisse was littered with abandoned keeps all over its territory. Many of these keeps were left in disrepair, left to crumble down over time. Most likely they were once owned by smaller lords or maybe knights that lost their lives during one war or another with no heirs to continue their bloodline, leaving the keeps to be forgotten and taken over by the wild and even bandits in some cases.

One such case was of a keep not more than five miles away from the capital, in an area long forgotten by travelers due to the overgrowth making it difficult to traverse on horseback. Its walls left much to be desired, with the outer walls being partially destroyed in some places and overgrown with moss and vines that made it made it susceptible for attacks and difficult to defend. A group of bandits had made it their base of operations for gods knew how long. They'd gone through the trouble of repairing the interior enough for it to create a comfortable living space with beds, a furnished kitchen, and a mess hall with a number of seats and even a large, crude table. The exterior was left as it was, likely in an attempt to not attract attention to the once forgotten keep. But neglecting the exterior made it an easy target. Without the exterior walls fully repaired, when the keep was attacked, it was easily taken over. And so, the bandits were forced to run away, leaving their base full of supplies to a new group of adventurers. Ever since then, that group had been working from there, making sure to keep people on guard in case the bandits or other groups of individuals decided to route them out, which hadn't happened so far.

The moment the group "decided" to come to Ylisse, their numbers dwindled down. It wasn't because others decided to stay behind or go their own way, but because they became separated during transportation. They didn't have the numbers to keep certain events from unfolding, unfortunately, and this put everyone on edge, especially after the encounter with the would-be assassins a few days before. A number of them had their reservations about what happened, and mostly kept them to themselves. Uther would spend his days busying himself with repairing the walls or his armor. Madelyn would train none-stop whenever she didn't go out searching for her siblings. Lilina tried to study herself to death with as many books as they could find that told them about the history of Ylisse (strangely, books seemed to be such a common thing in this world that they were often abandoned on the side of roads.) And Roy, well, he tried to keep some order as best he could, using skills he'd learned so long ago from his father.

At the time, Roy stood in the training yard—the only yard—studying a map they'd drawn through scouting laid on top of a wooden crate in front of him. The young Marquess kept running things over in his mind, looking at the lines on the parchment as if they would spell out everything he wanted and needed to know. No matter how many times he ran the scenario in his head, he couldn't understand how the battle had turned out the way it did. Despite his time learning the sword from his father, leadership from Marquess Hector, and tactics from General Cecilia, he was by no means a strategist. Lilina had always picked up on that better than he did, engrossing herself with every bit of knowledge she could get her hands on, going as far as asking her father to invite Madelyn's father over so that she could ask questions and get pointers. But when it came to war tactics, no one alive could compare to the twins. Morgan was sharped eyed, always knowing when to push and when to pull, but could be very sadistic at times and rely on traps too often, which didn't always pay off. Then there was Marc, who kept them all cheerful without fail and made sure to keep his sister focused. Both of them were amazing tacticians on their own right, but they always worked better when they were together. Their father would boast that they were an unstoppable force, working off each other's strengths and making up for their weaknesses. Had they been there, then maybe Roy wouldn't have been stuck in the current situation. _But we still don't know where they are_ , the redhead thought painfully.

Letting out a sigh in frustration, he leaned on the crate, finding their current situation less than ideal. Had Lilina not been so busy studying, he would ask for her opinion on things. He quickly reminded himself that he couldn't let others see him expressing self-doubt. If anyone had a right to be frustrated it was Madelyn, for she was the one with missing siblings. But, as a leader, Roy couldn't help but blame himself for their situation, despite knowing there was nothing he could've done to stop it from happening.

Lost in his thoughts, the young Marquess didn't notice a figure approaching him from behind until a hand gingerly touched his shoulder as if not sure if it should be there. Though surprised by what he thought to be a sudden appearance of another person, his hand did not move for the sword he carried by his side, knowing full well that if there was an intruder, someone else would've spotted them by then and alerted everyone. Instead, he turned to look at the hand. Recognizing it, he stood straight and turned over to the woman before bowing to her. "Princess Guinivere," said Roy, his tone gentle, a big contrast to his inner turmoil. "Is something the matter? I did not expect to see you here at this hour."

Princess Guinivere retreated her hand. She stood proudly, wearing the Bernese-red gown she'd worn for almost as long as the young lord had known her, her blonde, wavy hair pooling on her shoulders and cascading down her back. She looked him over with her golden eyes, almost as if knowing what was really going on inside him. "I am well, my lord. I should be the one asking how you are, however."

Roy arched an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. "...I'm not sure what you mean, my lady. I'm doing fine."

She sniffed, not looking at all convinced. "So you say, my lord, but your eyes betray you. You've slept little, and I've noticed you have barely eaten anything at all since you brought news of _that_ group. I know our stores of food will keep us fed for a few moons longer, too—I've made the inventory myself. Do not try to hide that from me, Lord Roy. You may think me stubborn but allow me to ask again: is something troubling you?"

In truth, there was no need for Roy to hide anything from the rest of the group. They all knew each other and some had even grown up together. It was enough for them to feel safe sharing their innermost thoughts without being afraid of being judged. However, Roy still felt hesitant. The whole reason they'd gone so far back—to Ylisse for that matter—was to prevent certain events from unfolding in hopes to spare this timeline from their future. But then, how could they do that when there were so few of them now? He pressed his lips into a thin line, not sure how he should respond. Fortunately for the swordsman, he would not have to, as whistling caught his and the princess' attention. The two of them looked up at the wall, where Hugh—a tall man of lean physique and purple hair—waved them over and then signaled towards the gate. Their scouts had returned.

"We can discuss this at a later time. For now, let us go see how they fared," Roy said, quickly turning towards the main gate, but waiting for Princess Guinivere to walk with him.

By the time the two of them reached the gate, others were already there to welcome back their allies. Liliana, with book in hand, and Uther were discussing something while Hugh did the same with Madelyn as the two of them opened the gate. A few seconds later, Wolt walked in with a grin on his face, lifting a hand to present his trophies while the other rubbed at his nose. The game wasn't anything big, but some fresh meat would do them all well. "Dinner's on me tonight!"

While some seemed cheerful about having meat to eat, Roy walked over to the other scout, who'd just walked in before the gates were closed behind her. Guessing by the look Madelyn was showing, Roy could already see what news they would receive. It wasn't good. "Any luck, Fir?"

Fir looked hesitant, her fist clenching slightly. Biting her lower lip, she shook her head slowly before looking up to see Madelyn looking dejected. "I'm sorry, Mady," said the raven, looking almost as sad as her friend.

Though finding everyone else was important, Madelyn had always made it a priority to find her siblings. Roy often wondered if that was her duty as an older sister or as a leader of her tribe. He himself didn't have any siblings, so he couldn't quite understand how she felt, as much as he wanted to try. When they first appeared and Uther was nowhere to be seen, Lilina exhibited many of the same feelings as Madelyn. However, they were quickly able to find the other Ostian, making them all think that finding the rest of what was left of their army would be an easy task. But they could only rely on Wolt, who had the most experience in tracking of all of those present, to lead the searches.

"I should be the one out there looking for them, Roy," Madelyn told him, looking at him almost pleadingly. "If anyone can find them, I know it's me."

"I don't doubt your resolve or your skill, Mady," he quickly reassured her. "I know what you are capable of. Maybe it's true that you could find them and the rest if you went out there yourself, but you know why we can't let you walk around so freely, especially after what happened the other day. You were reckless and allowed yourself to receive an injury that you could've avoided had you disengaged like the rest of us did."

Madelyn touched the area where the arrow had hit her. None of them had noticed the injury—she'd broken off the shaft of the arrow instead of taking it out—until well after the fight was over. Her drive for payback made her forget about her own safety, and that scared Roy, as there were few allies they could count on with their mission.

"You must also understand the risk of you meeting your parents, Lady Madelyn," said Princess Guinivere. Madelyn looked away from them, rubbing one of her arms in unrest. "I understand you want to search for your siblings yourself, my lady. I do. But what will your siblings think if they see that you've put yourself at risk so recklessly? It is best you look after your injury until it's fully healed. We can't afford to lose anyone at this point. Not when we know what is at stake."

With the tense atmosphere around them, it was strange to hear someone chuckling. For a second Roy thought he was imagining things until he noticed the others, including Lilina and Uther from further away, were all taken aback by the out-of-place sound. It was only until he heard clapping that Roy turned his attention towards the top of the gate, where a figure clad in black stood. Fir and Madelyn brandished their swords as Uther and Lilina made their way to the group, Roy moving to stand in front of the Bernese princess and unsheathed his own steel.

If the figure was wary of their actions, it did not show it. Just as suddenly as they'd appeared, the person jumped down to the ground, standing tall in front of them all. Having a better look at the man, Roy felt the tension escape him. Likewise, Fir and Madelyn lowered their weapons, but both of them frowned at the would-be intruder. The man, for his part, smiled at those gathered, his hands hidden behind his back, but making no move to reach for the scabbard strapped to his belt. "Well said, Your Grace," the man said. "A wise decision, as expected of a _true_ monarch."

Princess Guinivere smiled fondly at the man as she took a step towards him, moving past Roy. She made a curtsy, to which the man responded with a bow and yet another chuckle. "We weren't expecting you for a few more days, Ser Legault," the princes said. "I'm afraid you've caught us ill prepared to act as your hosts."

The agent waved a hand in front of him dismissively. "Do not fret over it, Your Grace. I assure you, famished is the last thing I'm feeling at the moment. I was taking part in a feast in Castle Ylisstol not more than two hours ago." From the short time Roy had known the man, it was rare for him to not smile or smirk. so when he saw that smile turn into a frown, he knew there was something wasn't right. "Unfortunately, there are many things I thought best to inform you about with haste."

"Has something happened?" Roy asked, fearing the worst. Perhaps allowing _that_ group to retreat had been a mistake after all. Could it be that they'd mounted another attack on the Tactician? But that would be a foolish move! Infiltrating a city with that many soldiers would be a suicide mission!

"All in due time, my lord. For now, let's head inside and gather everyone. I can't stay long, so I rather go over things only once."

The only area big enough to hold the entire group at once with some level of comfort was the mess hall, where they found Wolt and Hugh in the middle of skinning the rabbits the archer had brought in. Roy didn't miss the strange look Legault gave their meal before he went ahead and got another chair that was rested against the wall and dragged towards the table. In order for all of them to sit, they had to sit shoulder to shoulder, with Legault sitting at the head of the table, the princess taking the spot to his right and Roy the one to his left—directly across of the princess.

With everyone in place, Legault began his story. "First, I would like to congratulate you, Lady Madelyn." When the nomad look on with confusion, he decided to elaborate. "Your mother and father married on our way back to Ylisstol."

"Already?" the greenette asked, wide-eyed. "From what my parents told me, they married only after they returned to Elibe."

"Maybe your father thought it best to do it now," Lilina concluded with a smile. "After facing death so many times and almost being embraced by it once, he likely did not want to miss the opportunity or postpone it any longer."

"Very perceptive, my lady," said Legault with a nod. "It would seem that after Lord Robin recovered from the injury he received during his assassination attempt, he grew a lot closer with Lady Lyndis. Once we left Ferox, the two of them were hardly seen apart. It reminds me of how they used to be during our travels back in Elibe, though even then they didn't spend as much time together as they do now nor were they as intimate."

Madelyn smile seemed to spread past her, as not too soon after everyone smiled just the same, including Roy. Despite their little interference in the events, it seemed that their work was already bearing some fruits

Further back in the table, a hand slowly raced. The attention turned to the purple-haired mage, who quickly said, "I don't mean to be a downer, but… this doesn't sound urgent to me at all. It's good news to be sure, but nothing about it screams to me as something you would go out of your way to inform us about when you could be enjoying a good meal in the company of some good ladies." He quickly turned to Roy, frowning. "You _did_ say this was urgent, didn't you? We stopped making dinner for this, you know."

"I always like to start with some good news when making my reports," Legault justified, shrugging. Roy tensed up instantly. "Then, why don't I start from the beginning, hm? By now I assume that you've heard of the... _incident_ that happened during the welcome parade?"

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room seemed to darken, many eyes lowering to the table. Uther leaned forward, resting an arm on the table as he looked at Legault. "Yeah, we heard. We were out patrolling when we found a group of people talking about it."

The spy arched an eyebrow. "A group, you say?"

"It was a small group," Lilina confirmed with a nod. "Three girls, two boys. We couldn't see their faces all that well, but three wielded swords, one a bow, and another a were openly discussing taking action against Mady's father."

He hummed as he rubbed his chin. "Did any of them fit the description of the girl I told you about before?" Legault asked, turning to look at Roy.

"We couldn't see their faces," repeated the redhead. "They wore cloaks with large hoods that hid their identities—"

"The girl I fought," Madelyn cut in. "It was her. I'm sure."

"Mady, I don't know if—"

"It was _her_ , Roy. I fought with her face-to-face. I know what I saw. That eye and her sword? You don't see things like that every day."

As knowing it was best to intervene, Legault quickly spoke up. "Then that explains where our prisoner went… I would like to know more of this encounter of yours, my lords, but all in due time. For now, let me continue with my story…"

By the time the entirety of the army had reached the castle, one would expect for everyone to just relax a bit, perhaps even unwind after stiffly marching for so long. However, that was not the case. The Ylissean Pegasus Knights seemed ashamed of what had happened, their leader showing a scowl since the moment the incident took place. The Feroxi soldiers were uncomfortable, acting as if nothing happened. And the Ostian knights and Ilian Pegasus Knights looked pissed, keeping more to themselves than what they'd done since the armies had met up in Plegia. It was clear what the cause was, so it came as no surprise that, when invited to enter the palace itself to relax and find them all accommodations for the duration of their stay, it was only the Feroxi who took up the offer.

Legault stood near the Exalt as she looked around, saddened by the events. "I did not expect things to turn out this way," the Exalt, clearly tired from the ordeal, confessed as she continued to look at the reluctant knights, who were being talked to by Lord Hector and Lord Oswin.

"It can't be helped, Your Grace," said the assassin. His words seemed to bring her back from her inner thoughts, turning over to face him. The khans stood with her as well, both of whom acknowledged his presence, but said nothing. "Your people have insulted a hero of not only Ostia, but Lycia as a whole and Ilia after he aided your cause since before the war even started. They may forgive the offense, but they will _not_ forget it. I understand that bad blood runs between the Halidom and Plegia, but that is no excuse for what happened."

Emmeryn seemed to have something to say, but it never left her mouth. Flavia nodded in the direction of the Ostian Knights, who were back in marching formation. "Doesn't look like they'll be staying for the celebration," she pointed out flatly.

Not a moment too soon, Lord Hector had already made his way towards them, looking exhausted, but hiding it well enough that someone that didn't know him better wouldn't be able to tell. Rubbing his neck in frustration, he cleared his throat. "My apologies, Your Grace, but it seems like my men are not...comfortable with staying here any longer than they need to after what happened. I know we discussed having some of them join your garrison for the time being, but given the current circumstances, I rather pull them out of the city limits. I don't trust they will sit idly otherwise; despite appearances, they can be a stubborn lot."

"A shame," Basilio said before letting out a long sigh. "I was looking forward to exchanging a few more stories with some of them." He then turned to look at the Exalt. "It would be a good idea to have someone escort them out. It'll keep people calm and keep anyone from doing anything stupid."

Though some would see that as an insult, there didn't seem to be any other option. The Exalt went ahead and called for the Captain of the Pegasus Knights, a woman by the name of Phila, to escort the knights out with the help of some other knights in an effort to avoid any possible altercation in the city streets. Even Lord Hector approved of her decision, saying that it was best that way since his army was still an unknown force to the citizens of Ylisstol and could spread fear otherwise.

With the matter settled and the knights marching out, those that were left were invited inside the castle once again. It hadn't only been the commoners that had been getting ready to receive their Exalt, but also the nobles and the servants. The entire castle had been cleaned to perfection. One could see their reflection on the floor, windows, and even on the few sets of armor and other decorations that lined the hallway; anything that could shine shined to the point that it was difficult to think that there weren't mirrors all over the place. They were all directed to the main hall, were a large number of what Legault could only assume to be nobles and their retainers awaited for them, breaking into a cheer once the Exalt was in sight. Not too soon, all those who came in got dragged away by different people one by one. Some nobles made to engage the Exalt, glad to see her safe return, the thief was sure. Others congratulate Prince Chrom and the Khans for the successful campaign. Most Shepherds seem to find their families or people they knew easily enough. Even those that knew no one were dragged away by eager nobles wanting to introduce themselves—Lord Hector, Lady Farina, Lord Oswin, Lady Serra, Dame Isadora, Dame Fiora, Lord Kent, and Dame Florina were all spread thin, most of whom looked uncomfortable(especially in the case of Dame Florina), but went along with it. There were even those that confused Canas for a faraway noble due to his exotic clothing, but when he cleared the matter and called himself a scholar, people lost interest in him instantly. There were even those that tried to approach Panne, likely assuming she was with the Ostian forces, but the taguel was too stubborn and distrusting to say more than a couple of words to them, mostly calling people "Manspawn" before walking away.

As for Legault, he was never one to stay in the spotlight. Like Matthew, he quickly found himself by a quiet corner where he wouldn't attract attention to himself, which was simple when there were so many important figures gathered in one room. The khans holding a sort of drinking contest with the mercenary hired by Canas, a man that went by the name of Gregor, also helped; the three of them were the loudest in the entire hall. But for all the conversations going on, Legault noticed that no one seemed to talk about what happened outside the castle walls.

That changed the moment Captain Phila returned, escorting Lord Robin, Lady Lyndis, and the Lady Tharja with them. The thief had learned before that Lord Robin did not have many possessions, especially clothes, so it came as no surprise to see him wearing the clothes he'd used during his wedding. Lady Lyndis, having only been hit when she shielded her husband, only had to shed her coat and armor; she walked with an arm wrapped around her husband's. And for once, if Legault didn't know better, they seemed to fall into their roles of Lord and Lady, if only from the way they were dressed. The Lady Tharja followed close behind them, Lady Lyndis whispering something to her as they were walking. The black mage was in a similar situation as Lord Robin, but it seemed that someone had provided her with something to wear in the form of a long dress that hung loosely on her figure. Strangely enough, despite how thin the fabric seemed to be, she still looked uncomfortable with the garb and very warm. Khan Basilio, in his merry, tipsy way, called the trio over, bringing even more attention to the appearance of the Plegians. But the khan was no fool, despite his foolish ways. Instead of parading them around the room or making a bigger scene, he took them with him to an outdoor area that had been set up with the excuse of wanting to talk to the trio.

Almost immediately, the conversations took a turn for the worse. Where before most attendees spoke of reforming the army to fight off the Risen threat and establishing better trade routes and trade deals with Ferox, now they spoke of Plegia. There were a handful of nobles that took a neutral stance, but the vast majority took the opportunity to bash the beaten country and its people that " _dared_ " to stand amongst them. They seemed disgusted that Lord Robin and Lady Tharja were _allowed_ to be there. It was clear that they hated Plegians, but instead of being thankful for the actions of those two, they turned up their noses, saying that the turncoats should've died during the war...

Legault stopped his tale when he noticed the faces of the young ones around him. Roy could see that some were sad, others angry, and others thoughtful. It wasn't an ideal situation, but the lord appreciated the older man's honesty. Honeyed words would not help them have a clear grasp on what was going on. So, as maddening as it was to hear that someone he regarded highly was being treated unfairly—that the parents of his friends were being insulted behind their backs, Roy knew that there was nothing for him to do but listen.

"That's not right," said Fir, her brow furrowed in a mix of worry and anger. The raven looked over to her side, where Madelyn sat. With most of the story relating back to Mady's parents, Roy had been keeping a close eye on her. He could tell that she was pained by everything their parents were going through. She had to feel helpless to be so close, and yet, not be able to do anything about it. It was a feeling they all shared, to be sure. The redhead, however, failed to notice how hard his friend was clenching her hands until Fir took hold of one before turning back to Legault. "Why didn't anyone try and stop them?"

"Oh, there were many that did," he answered. "The Shepherds quickly caught on and did the best they could to defend their friends. Khan Flavia, Dame Raimi, Captain Phila, and even the Exalt herself. They all did it. But try as they may, it is hard to stop people from voicing their opinions. This world is not different from our own, when you think about it. The way Plegians are treated here is very similar to how Sacaeans are treated, well, pretty much anywhere outside their territory."

"It's easier to hate than to forgive and admit one was wrong," added Princess Guinivere.

Roy nodded along. They'd all seen those words come to life in the form of King Zephiel. Ironic then that that same king had been the one to share those words with his sister. Turning his attention back to Legault, Roy asked, "They wouldn't listen to their own queen? You'd said before that everyone held the Exalt to the highest regard."

"Well," the thief started, "they pretended to listen. Lady Emmeryn gave a heartwarming speech in which she recognized and thanked Lord Robin and Lady Tharja as well as the Ostian and Feroxi troops for their roles in the war, going as far as saying that many more lives could've been lost had Robin not been there to guide them, including her own. Lord Robin, a Plegian, had won them the war. I won't try to retell you the exact speech, seeing as it wouldn't compare to the real deal. Lady Emmeryn has a way with words that would make you think she has a tremendous control over magic or she is some sort of siren; no matter the topic, it's easy to find yourself wanting to agree with whatever she says. By the end of her speech, everyone clapped, but I could tell that despite her effort, she didn't convince anyone…"

With a bad taste in his mouth, Legault decided it was best to go elsewhere, seeing as how the nobles were now avoiding speaking of Plegia altogether except for a brave few who were quickly silenced. With him came Panne, who'd also grown sick of the ambiance, though didn't give any reason as to why she would rather stick with him, and he didn't bother to ask either. He was only planning to take a walk around the castle, maybe see if there was anyone there that shouldn't be—the Fang specifically—and having Panne around would be good for that. She could sniff them or hear them well before he could, giving the two of them an advantage.

They didn't find anything of importance from the walk. The security around the castle was air tight. Even with his many years of experience, Legault couldn't see any way someone could come in or out without a guard noticing. They'd been walking quietly the entire time, so it came as a surprise when Panne raised her hand in front of him to stop him from advancing. Looking over at the taguel inquisitively, he let his eyes ask the question for him.

"People are arguing," she told him, looking down another hallway that the thief believed lead to the dungeon. Finding it curious that there would be anyone there arguing other than the stationed guard, Panne lead them both down the hallway. Getting closer, he could start making out the voices. Both of them were male; one was the guards, the other was Robin's. If the tactician was there, then it was best not to show themselves. This time it was Legault's turn to stop his companion before they turned the last corner.

"Normally it wouldn't be a problem, Ser," came the flustered voice of a young guard who was likely shaking in his boots. One quick glance around the corner confirmed this. The young man was trying to make himself look smaller, bringing his shoulder up and his spear and shield closer to himself. "I-I-I was given direct instructions to not let anyone into the dungeons."

Lord Robin seemed frustrated by the response, but didn't fight the guard over it. He was likely trying to pay a visit to Lucina. Perhaps he wanted to tell her the news of the Exalt's survival, or he could've had other reasons known only to himself. Looking up once again, the tactician was ready to say something else when someone called out to him.

"Is something the matter, Lord Robin?" The figure of the knight, Ser Frederick The Wary approached the other brunette and the guard, walking with his typical aloofness that Princess Lissa seemed made a point to mock and hate. The knight came to a stop in front of the two, the guard seemingly relaxing for a second before remembering just _who_ it was that had joined them. "Lord Chrom has been looking for you, milord. I would ask you what brings you here, but I can already guess why. I'm sorry to say that I was the one to give the order not to let anyone into the dungeon, especially you." Noticing that Lord Robin wanted to ask the reason, Ser Frederick went ahead and answered it. "Don't take it personally, milord. In order for there to be a fair trial for Marth, we can't have her being questioned by the man she tried to kill twice."

Lord Robin rubbed his chin in thought before nodding at the knight. "That...sounds reasonable," he said. "I guess it can't be helped. Still, if you can, would you tell her about what happened with Lady Emmeryn? Despite what Marth has done to me, she still saved the Exalt back then and Chrom at least twice."

"Certainly, milord. Leave it to me. For now, let us return to the event." With a quick nod to the guard, Ser Frederick guided the tactician back to the festivities. Legault, however, felt something was...off about what the knight had said.

"Panne, can you hear any noise coming from the dungeon from here?" he asked the taguel, who leered at him. "What's wrong?"

"You don't trust Frederick," she stated.

"Of course I don't. I have a gut feeling that he's hiding something."

Panne, however didn't look convinced. "Is this about what happened during Robin's wedding?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Strangely, the taguel had become more adamant to share such talks as of recent, but this was hardly the time and place for such a thing. Not that anything _had_ happened between the thief and the knight back then. With a certain paladin, yes, but not with Ser Frederick. "If you don't believe me, then think of this as a service. I don't think we'll be eating Lord Robin's famous stew any time soon, but I'm sure I can get you something to your liking all the same."

The back and forward continued for a while until Panne finally relented. With how thick the walls were, Legault didn't have much hope she could hear anything at all. She closed her eyes and looked focused on listening. He made sure not to move an inch as to give her an easier time. The man guarding the door had also recovered, no longer shaking in his armor, making it that much easier for Panne to hear anything. Finally, after a few minutes had passed, she opened up her eyes again and looked up at him, surprised. "I couldn't hear anything…"

"That's what you were referring to when you said you now knew where the prisoner had gone to," Roy said, mostly to himself. "I can see why this Ser Frederick's reasoning would convince someone, but what did he have to gain from hiding the truth?"

"Wouldn't it be because he didn't want the Tactician to panic?" Hugh asked, shifting on his chair. He quickly lifted his feet onto the table, leaning back on his chair. "I mean, with everything that happened, he probably wasn't feeling safe as it were. Telling him that the person that tried to kill him was on the loose would probably push him off the edge."

"Get your filthy boots off the table, Hugh," Madelyn chastised, glaring at the mage. "We all have to eat here." Hugh said something under his breath, but nonetheless did as he was told. "And Father always was able to keep himself calm, no matter the situation. I don't think he would panic so easily."

"Maybe, but how can we be certain that Ser Frederick knew that?"

"They call him Ser Frederick The Wary for a reason, Lady Madelyn," Legault put in, noticing the disapproving look that the girl gave him, likely for addressing her with a wrong title all along. _Like her parents,_ Legault thought. Not that it mattered much. He mostly did it to distract the girl that was too invested into the story. "At the time, I thought the same as Hugh, but I wasn't convinced that it was the only reason behind hiding the truth from your father, which on itself I found odd. After we left, I met up with Matthew and asked for his help, with the understanding that he was not to report his findings to Lord Hector or anyone else for that matter. With what had happened earlier that day with the knights, I did not want things to take a turn for the worse if it could be avoided…"

For the next few days, Legault kept a close eye on Lord Robin and Lady Lyndis while he had Matthew investigate Ser Frederick. The thief hoped that things would change overtime, once the Exalt and the Shepherds had a better chance to talk with people about what had happened and that people of Plegia should be treated with some respect, especially those that helped them during the war. However, once again, this did little to deter people's actions or sway their stance. Lord Robin had expressed a desire to explore the city with Lady Lyndis early on, saying he hadn't had a chance to do so before. Unfortunately, whenever the two would leave the castle, there was a certain hostility with the city-folk. It never escalated to more than insults and denial of service, thankfully, but every time it was clear that it was taking a toll on the tactician. It didn't take long for the couple to decide to stay in the confines of the castle and the barracks, seeing as at least the servants there would be cordial to their presence, whether out of duty or because they truly liked them.

During one of Legault's daily meetings with Matthew to exchange information, the spymaster told him that the Exalt asked Lord Robin and Lady Tharja to meet with her. She'd apologized to them directly for all the events that had transpired and the short sightedness of her people, and wished to make amends. According to Matthew, Lady Emmeryn informally offered the mantle of Grand Master of Ylisse—after some research, the position turned out to be a coveted one that was of great influence within the Halidom. She offered it because of his accomplishments and because he'd proven himself more than worthy for the position, but also as a way to show her people that the bridge between the two nations could be fixed, forgetting about the politics and religious beliefs that had divided them in the past. She also said that as Grand Master, Lord Robin could choose to take retainers. That would extend his protection towards Lady Tharja if he chose to take her, but Lady Tharja didn't seem all that convinced about it. Lord Robin seemed flattered by the offer, but responded that he would need to discuss it with his wife first, as it would be something that would also affect her life significantly. Lady Emmeryn agreed, saying that there would need to be a formal announcement later on should he decide to take the position. There the matter stood for some time.

Things calmed down somewhat after that. That is, until there was a feast held for the khans, who were ready to return to Regna Ferox with the bulk of their army. It seemed that Lord Robin and Lady Tharja had learned how to not to bring attention to themselves by avoiding unnecessary interactions and by only talking with those people they knew well enough.

Lord Robin and Lady Lyndis were mostly keeping to themselves the entire time, still basking in the honeymoon period of their relationship, when Prince Chrom and Ser Frederick approached the couple with Lady Tharja in tow. It wasn't too strange to see the five of them together. The tactician and the prince were good friends, holding each other to the highest esteem—the bluenette had been Lord Robin's best man during his wedding, after all. Ser Frederick always accompanied his liege to make sure he was safe even from small pebbles. As for Lady Tharja, she always seemed to gravitate towards Lord Robin, one way or another, so her presence there was expected. What _wasn't_ expected was that those three had approached the happy couple together. It was enough for Legault to excuse himself from the company he'd been keeping at the time.

The first words that the thief was able to catch came from the prince, who sounded more serious than he'd ever been since the end of the war. "—we have a problem," said Lord Chrom, his eyes wandering to the black mage that had stopped to his right, looking disinterested in the conversation.

Lord Robin looked alarmed for an instance while Lady Lyndis' cheerful demeanor dropped, looking at the prince with a blank expression. Already, Legault could tell that the tactician was preparing for the worse, his eyes darting to possible hiding spots and escape routes. "Don't tell me we are being attacked…" whispered the brunette, but the Prince was quick to dismiss the idea by shaking his head.

"Nothing quite like that, but it's still a sensitive subject." The husband and wife relaxed only somewhat after learning there wasn't an attack to worry about, but were still on their guard considering Prince Chrom's last statement. "We should go to a more private place first. I rather keep this under wraps if possible. I asked Phila to bring Emm too. They'll meet us there. Come on."

Surprisingly, the group was able to leave the area without trouble, though that was probably because all the nobles were trying one last ditch attempt at cozying up to the khans in an effort to gain their favor. Knowing that there had been some urgency to Prince Chrom's words, Legault trailed behind the group, keeping enough distance as to not alert them of his presence. This time he would be working alone, which was fine, though Panne's listening skill had become a useful tool that he could always rely on, having her do some of his dirty work without complaint or knowing the reason behind it was getting harder and harder each passing day, making it difficult to rely on her so much.

Having studied the castle's layout for some time, Legault knew where they were headed. He wouldn't be able to listen in on their conversation, especially with the guards that would be with them because of the Exalt's presence, which meant he had to find a way around the security; an easy task for a thief and assassin. He walked the long way around to find a good spot that would let him overhear the conversation. It was a shame that hiding spots like the one he chose wouldn't last long in the castle once Matthew got done with his work. Already the number of hiding spots had been diminishing by the day since they arrived in Ylisstol. Thankfully, there were still a handful of spots that had yet to be ridden of, which left the Bernese thief with the opportunity to listen in on the meeting, but only that since the windows to the room had been closed and a guard had been posted outside the room, likely under Captain Phila's orders.

"Robin, Lyn, thank you for joining us," came the voice of the Exalt, sounding nothing but sweet. "I apologize for the short notice, but we thought it was best to deal with this right now rather than later."

"Is this about the offer you made to Robin?" Lady Lyndis asked, her voice remaining neutral.

The silence that followed made it obvious that it wasn't about that. "I supposed as much when Chrom brought Tharja along," said Lord Robin, "but I'm not sure what else it could be about. We were told it wasn't about an attack before we came here, so then, what exactly is it? Plegia, maybe? Has something happened over there that we should be aware of?"

"No, this doesn't concern Plegia, though it does concern you," Prince Chrom responded. "There's something we've been…holding back on telling you in hopes that we could resolve it ourselves, but we've not been able to do so…" A pause. "When we got to the castle, the first thing I wanted to do was check up on Marth. With everything going on at the time, we hardly had a chance to interrogate her, let alone have a trial against her. But, when Frederick and I entered the dungeon, there was no one there. Marth's gone."

"She escaped?" the grenette asked, now finally sounding concerned. She had every right to be. Learning about her husband's would be killer being loose once again would put her on edge. "And guessing from what you've said, you haven't found her yet…?"

"That is correct, milady," answered Ser Frederick. "Though we assigned as many guards and Pegasus Knights we could spare on the task, there is no trail of Marth anywhere in the castle. Not even those that had been left to guard it while we marched to Plegia have come forward with any evidence of what happened. What we do know is that the cell door did not show any damage to it, which points to Marth's accomplice having stolen a key to the door and being well aware of the guard's and staff's routine as well as the layout of the castle to have made an escape without being noticed."

"Why weren't we told about this sooner?" Lord Robin asked with displeasure. "I think I have a right to know when my life is at risk. You've known about this for almost two weeks and yet didn't think it was important for me to know that my would-be killer was on the loose?"

"We didn't want to worry you both," said Prince Chrom. "I know you, Robin. If you'd known about it, you would've stressed yourself to death over it, even if we had people watching you day and night. We were hoping that if Marth saw what she thought was an opening, she would come in and we could capture her."

"I don't appreciate you using my husband as a lure, Chrom," said Lady Lyndis.

"The fault falls on me, milady," Ser Frederick quickly confessed. "I thought it was best this way. I was also watching over you personally, with the help of Tharja to an extent."

"I just placed a hex on you when you weren't looking," said Tharja dismissively. "Just a little something that would tell me if you were under some sort of...stress."

Legault smirked. Of course, that "stress" didn't necessarily mean that he was under attack. Nor did the spy think that the hex itself was very useful for the situation. He'd seen her using a few of them before, and something like a detection hex would've worked better.

"R-right…" Lord Robin was smart enough to understand the implications behind such a hex and not to ask about them. "Well, I suppose it's too late now to complain about it… Any luck finding Marth?"

"I've had some of my knights patrol the area, but none have come back with any sightings," said Captain Phila. "Likewise, the castle staff hasn't found any evidence of breaking-and-entering. I know it wasn't your intent, milord, but your choice of staying within the castle grounds may have been the best decision you could've made."

"We'll continue doing everything we can to keep you safe, Robin," the Exalt assured them. "We will not rest until Marth has been found. For the time being, just be more aware of your surroundings."

"If you say so," said the tactician. "I appreciate your honesty, at least. You've given me much to think about. If you don't mind, I would like to turn in for the day and mull this over."

"What about the khans?" Prince Chrom asked. "Basilio and Flavia won't let you leave just like that during their big day."

"I'll deal with them, somehow..."

"After the cut Mady gave that girl, I doubt she'll be showing herself anytime soon," said Uther with a grin. Though he wasn't all that happy about it, Roy felt the same way. It could be that the reason that this Lucina girl and her friends hadn't mounted a new offensive against the Tactician was because of that injury. If nothing else, that was a good reason for them all to celebrate. But then again, more than enough time had passed for that group to get themselves a healer and be back in working order.

"I would like to play cards with you sometime, my lord, for you are mistaken" said Legault, quickly bashing the little ease that had fallen in the room.

"What do you mean?" asked Madelyn, looking ready to bolt out of her chair and run to Ylisstol.

The spy looked over to Princess Guinivere, almost as if he was asking for permission to continue. It was easy to forget that, despite helping the entire group, the only reason Legault had joined them in the first place was because he was of Bern and felt some sense of duty in working for royalty. He would've likely never shown himself to them had it not been for Lady Guinivere's insistence. With a firm nod of the princess, Legault continued. "After I returned to the feast, Matthew found me. He told me that he'd found out something after keeping a close eye on Ser Frederick. It seems that our dutiful knight knows more than he lets on. He's spoken with Marth—Lucina—already. Why he hasn't apprehended the girl is beyond me, but my guess is that he's aware of something that we are not."

"If that's true, wouldn't Prince Chrom know about it?" Madelyn asked. "He and my father were very close friends. He even came to visit our tribe a few times when I was little. I'm sure that he would tell my parents about it had Ser Frederick done such a thing."

"That's under the assumption that the prince _knows_ what his knight is doing," Legault countered. "Ser Frederick is the kind of man that will do anything for his lord. An admirable trait, I'm sure. That includes informing his lord of anything that would put him in direct danger. We are talking about a man that goes out of his way to remove _pebbles_ from the road that the Exalted family walks on well before they reach it. He's also been distrustful of your father for a long time. If something or someone alerted him of a possible danger, he would do everything in his power to defend his liege."

"We are left with no choice," said Roy, standing up to his full length before looking at all of his friends and allies. "We've waited patiently in the shadows in hopes that the Fang would show itself, but by doing so, we focused only on one possible enemy. We can no longer standby and wait for things to happen and then react to them accordingly. There's too much on the line for that."

"What about searching for the others?" Wolt asked. "We can't just ignore them. They're still lost out there—"

"Leave your friends to me," all eyes turned in the direction of the doorway, where a new figure appeared. "You do what you have to. I'll gather the rest of your people."

Roy quickly rushed to the side of the man that was hardly any taller than himself. The man looked tired even by just standing there as he leaned on the doorframe. Ever since they'd come to Ylisse, he'd been bedridden, forced to rest and to recover his strength. Roy frowned. "You shouldn't be out of bed, Uncle," he said to the man of teal hair. "You can barely stand as it is. We can postpone the search until we deal with this—"

"Nonsense," said Nils, refusing the help of his nephew. "Now, more than ever, you will need as much help as you can get. I can't fight with you, but I can still help. Besides, I still have this." From a pouch on his belt, the young dragon pulled out his pipe, giving it a little swivel, fumbling when he lost control over it, but ultimately catching it nonetheless with an awkward laugh. "When I brought you back, I wasn't sure why we landed here of all times and places. This could be it! Last time I could only watch helplessly as things unfolded. Now, even if things are a bit different, I will prevent the wrong of our world happen here."

"Then there is no time to waste," said Legault, as he too made to stand, followed by the rest of the group. "But be sure that, if you act now, you will lose your element of surprise against the Black Fang."

"So be it," Roy declared. Months of careful planning and avoiding contact would all come crashing down on them, but the risk was too big for them not to do it. And if it meant showing themselves to the younger versions of their parents, so be it. "We came back to make sure that the Tactician survived the invasion of Sacae. If he is to fall now, we've already failed in our mission. We will deal with the Fang when the time comes. Prepare yourselves, my friends. Tomorrow, we move."

* * *

 **AN:** I'm not gonna lie, this was a difficult chapter. It ended differently as to how I originally planned, but it's not like that ending won't be showing up in a future chapter. Like I said, this arc has just started and will run for a bit, so a lot of stuff will be happening. No need for me to rush things too much, even if the point of this chaptas to get things moving.

Still so many characters missing. So sad... Can't overwhelm people with _that_ many characters at once, though, so I had to keep the numbers down this time. There's also the matter that it saves me having to introduce a bunch of characters in the future. Hopefully there's enough going on with the "new" characters (Fir, Hugh, Guinivere, and Wolt) to give you an idea of who they are. This is obviously only their first appearance. All characters will be expanded upon at some point in the future, so don't worry about it too much.

I also wanted to make a point to show Roy having some doubt on himself. If it wasn't obvious, there's a good reason why he and the others came back. Losing so much would leave him second-guessing himself, especially if he lost people close to him because of his decisions. Again, something that will be expanded upon in the future.

 **Special notes:**

So, someone asked for a list of child characters that would be showing up. I thought it was a good idea, but I'll keep it here since I know not everyone reads the review responses. I'm assuming that was referring to Binding Blade characters more than Awakening (all child characters from Awakening will be showing up), so here we go! So far, I've planed for the following: Roy, Lilina, Wolt, Clarine, Klein, Lugh, Raigh, Fir, Igrene, Hugh, Sue, Bors, Gwendolyn, Thany, Tate, and Yuno. Additionally, I have plans to include Fae and Sophia. Other Binding Blade characters _can_ still show up. I just need to come up with plans for them all.

 **Reviews** :

 **XenoEmblem4TW** —I think that for something like that to happen, Madelyn would need to confront Lucina about it in front of all the Shepherds. Right now, the Shepherds are only aware on Lucina trying to kill Robin twice. It would need to be someone in Roy's group that points fingers to the other future Awakening children to be distrusted. That being said, for sure there will be some discomfort between the parents and the children based on that. About the Plegian hatred, while there will be many attempts for characters to call for peace and trust, chances are that it'll take a long time before people start coming around to it. People are set on their ways and it can take years before they realize that what they're doing is wrong. I also wish that the game had gone more into the Crusades, even if just by mentioning it a few more times. Seems like such a waste that they didn't.

 **Greyjedi449t** —The two future timelines are definitely very different from one another, and even more between the game Binding Blade and the future-timeline Binding Blade on this story. Believe, things from now on will get even more complicated xD Gonna be fun seeing how people interpret a few things. At least there I currently have no desire to bring in any more timelines for the time being.

 **Whatstoknow** —Things have been pretty decent lately. Temperatures stabilized a bit more. I hope the heatwave didn't do you in. I heard you guys were getting high 40s or something crazy like that. For the Switch, I'm still on the fence. I can say that after seeing a few more pictures, I'm a bit more interested, but not with the price tag it has right now. Too expensive! But Fire Emblem Heroes is fun and the new one coming up looks cool!

 **JP I'm Italian** —You ad to know it was Owain, right? Question is, do you know what the stories he wanted to tell the others were about based on the details I gave? Yes, Uther was named after Hector's older brother and Madelyn is named after her grandmother. Lucina and Madelyn are for sure not gonna be buddy-buddy any time soon, if ever. Yes, that was meant to be Lyn's critical, but Madelyn still hasn't perfected it, which is why there were no afterimages of her during the attack. Owain would've reacted like that had the situation been a bit less intense. Who said Zephiel did not start the war? As for the sword itself, for now, it's a secret whether Roy has it or not. Ostia and Caelin would be taken cared of by castellans, who are people that watch over a castle and its territories while a lord is away, so things are safe over there for now.

 **Anon Guest** —Gotta be on top of all those, you know? I like checking out random art from time to time. That's mostly how I found out about all those different versions, to be honest. As for Marc, it is meant to be spelled like that. In the Japanese version of Awakening, male Morgan's name is actually Marc. I thought it was fitting, while keeping Mark and Marc being different. Madelyn introduced herself as the Chieftain of the Lorca, but nothing else. For her to gain control over Caelin, Kent and/or his descendants would need to relinquish their claim on it given to them by Hector, and then Madelyn would need to accept it. So, possible. As for the Grima Vessel, not necessarily. Though she does have the blood of Grima in her veins like any of Robin's children, that doesn't mean she can be a vessel. After all, Validar also has the blood of Grima, but can't be a vessel.

 **Guest** —He definitely is our boy! As for the sword, that's something that you'll have to wait and see.

 **allen Vth** —Though I like where you were going with that, Madelyn's name is the same as Lyn's mother. I'm hoping that I can keep it up in the future once more and more characters join up. What I might do then is have chapters that focus on groups of characters that you won't necessarily see interacting with Robin on a regular basis. Also, I'm glad you liked the Owain chapter. Was a lot of fun to write, given how silly Owain can be. You do make good points as to whether Robin should stay or leave Ylisse. You'll have to wait a bit more to find out what he'll decide, though, hehehe. And yes, Morgan and Marc won't have amnesia. Their personalities will remain the same from Awakening, but they'll have their memories. Still a couple of airheads, though.

 **DefconDeceiver** —The good thing about locking a perspective about a single character are the limitation it bring with it. Owain was just too distracted by what he was seeing that he didn't bother to check on Noire. Not that he had any reason to, seeing as he doesn't know how Robin relates to Noire. Shipping vibes are always misleading. I make certain interactions feel like they could be platonic or romantic on purpose. You can take it as you like, really, seeing as it can only be confirmed until a romance is seen.

When thinking about the Three Great Lords, you can't forget about Lilina. She is the one that holds Ostia, after all. Still, I see where you were going with that. I did want to have that same relationship between Roy, Madelyn, and Uther that Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector had. I nice callback, if you would. For the blades Madelyn and Roy used during the fight not being mention, the same thing I mentioned on the first part of the response applies. Not really knowing what Mani Katti and Solo Katti look like, Owain wouldn't really recognize them. You could even say that the Sword of Seals looks different from what he thinks, considering that all he had to go off of are crude drawings and interpretations of what the blade looks like. The real reason I had the characters wearing cloaks was specifically so that I wouldn't write myself into a corner by deciding right now what I'll be doing with Tharja, seeing as the Binding Blade timeline follows more closely to what actually happens in the current timeline. And as for what to do with Tharja's consequences, all I can say is that Robin, not knowing anything about her, escaped with her in self-exile to protect her. What do you think he'll do if they forced him to punish Tharja for that? I know I'm being evasive, but that's mostly because this is something that will be showing up soon.

 **MegaMan Zero** —Surprisingly, there's a good reason for this, at least in cities. It all comes down to alleyways. Back in the day, people would empty they trash on them, including chamber pots. Much later someone would come and clean it all. So, the veggies come from there. I love the idea that people wanted to feed the pegasi, though. That's a ton of food for just a few pegasi and horses. About the Noire and Owain thing, I would say that it could be seen that way, but there wasn't necessarily any romantic feelings behind their actions. It was more of a friend being there for a friend, though it could help develop the relationship into something else. As for the chapter names, each arc will have its own name format, with chapters in between not really following that rule. That should help people finding out when each arc begins and ends. Glad to hear you're liking the story so far. And though it'll take some time before _everything_ is explained, I hope you'll stick around for the ride!

 **SunderingSlime587** —Though I see what you did there, the name actually comes from Lyn's mother. Hahaha, Hector's reaction will be priceless for sure, especially if you take into account his A support with Eliwood. I suppose this chapter should answer your question about Nils. As for Jaffar and Nino, don't worry, they're coming soon. About Sue's mother, just think about the female characters that are single from Rekka No Ken. That should give you a good idea of who I have in mind. The Valm-arc will change a _tooooon_ because of all of this. Should be interesting, seeing as how I need to keep a lot of stuff in mind while following a somewhat set path on that one.

 **Yellowclover** —Complicated is one way of putting it, especially when thinking that all three timelines have different events going on. I'm glad you liked Owain and Noire, and I understand about Severa. I needed a character with a certain attitude that would fit in with the situation. At first I thought of Kjelle, but she was too obvious. Also, Severa already was a tsundere, so I just made her super tsun-tsun. No worries, after talking with my Beta for some time, I do have a lot of stuff that should redeem my take on Severa, hopefully. I still love the Old Hubba mentions. Give me a good laugh! I can tell you that the one that talked with Lyn and the one that talked with the future children are different ones, though I'm sure you already knew that. For the one that helped Lyn, that character won't be the same I'd planned back then because I decided to take the story in a different direction, so he'll either go unmentioned or could actually be...Old Hubba? Or someone else... As for the one with Lucina's group, they'll show up in the future, so no worries there!

 **anon reader** —All the Old Hubba theories always make me laugh. For other situations I can see what people were thinking, but for this one? Hahahaha, that would be very strange... or would it? The Fang, Nino, and Jaffar will all be coming up pretty soon. No worries there. Can't say _how_ or exactly _when_ they'll be showing up, though.

 **AquaticSilver —(Ch1)** Gotta love those Tharja moments, eh?

 **Sigmatic** —Yes, they come from the Binding Blade storyline, though Uther and Madelyn are my OCs from that storyline. Correct, Morgan _and_ Marc will both be showing up in the future!

 **GuestWithIdeas** —Thanks! Oh, believe me, I know in what position I'm putting Robin in. You could even say... that the stress could turn his hair white! Though it is true that some characters can feel like Robin and Lyn should stay or leave, that discussion and decision is for only those two to make. I'll say, you're not far from what I'm thinking. Good, good, good. I _did_ make certain references to it in the past for a reason. Sharp eyed reader, you!

 **Asarus Knight** —Thank you very much! I'm always glad to hear someone liking this story. Both Morgans (Morgan and Marc) will be showing up, both of whom are Madelyn's younger siblings, so no worries there.

 **Tumerboy12** —You're not wrong... but at the same time, I'm not sure yet if I would go that far. One thing's for sure: it's very complicated and can only get more so in the future.


End file.
